€3,000 taken in robbery where three children were locked in cupboard

Two children were locked in a cupboard and around €3,000 taken in an aggravated burglary in Dundalk, Co Louth.

Three men, two armed with hammers, forced their way into the home of a restaurateur at around 7.30pm last night.

Three children, aged 10, 12 and 16, were brought downstairs to the kitchen while two adults were brought to a bedroom and forced to hand over the money.

The gang escaped in a white Citroen Berlingo van.

It was the second attack on the home of a Chinese restaurateur in the past week.