Armed gang kidnap woman

An armed gang kidnapped a woman and pretended her sister's children were being held hostage while they robbed her workplace, police said today.

An armed gang kidnapped a woman and pretended her sister's children were being held hostage while they robbed her workplace, police in the North said today.

Detectives are hunting the masked men who entered the victim's home in Belfast city centre last night and claimed they had the youngsters elsewhere.

The kidnappers then drove her to a watch shop in the Queens Arcade area and stole a large quantity of valuable watches.

A PSNI spokeswoman confirmed the children were never taken during the raid and are safe and well.

"The victim and her family were released unharmed but were extremely shaken by their ordeal," added the spokeswoman.

The woman's car later found burnt out in the Kinnaird Terrace of the city.

Detectives have appealed for anyone who saw anything suspicious in the Antrim Road area around 6pm or around Queens Arcade between 7pm and 9 pm to come forward.

Meanwhile, police in Castlereagh are appealing for information following a robbery at an off licence in the area last night.

Three men entered the shop and stole the cash box before fleeing in a blue car driven by a forth male.