Knife-wielding teenagers raid Cork pizza restaurant

Takeaway staff were threatened at knifepoint and one worker was beaten with a brush handle during a terrifying armed raid in Cork over the weekend.

Gardaí are now hunting for two raiders, believed to be in their teens, one of whom may be walking with a limp after he fell while escaping.

The incident occurred at the Heaven Pizza outlet in the Classes Lake retail park in Ballincollig at around 11.30pm on Saturday.

Two males, each wearing what Heaven Pizza owner Nasir Khan described as Halloween masks, entered the restaurant and takeaway. They were both armed with knives.

Mr Khan’s parents were among those on duty behind the counter as the raiders ordered staff to lie on the floor.

His mother, who is in her 40s, grabbed a brush handle to confront the raiders.

But one of the suspects grabbed the brush, threatened her at knifepoint, and used the brush handle to beat her husband as he lay on the ground.

The raiders grabbed a quantity of cash from the tills and fled on foot, through the Classes Lake housing estate towards the Meadows area.

Despite his injuries, Mr Khan’s father pursued the raiders, first in his car and then on foot.

One of the raiders slipped and fell, suffering what appeared to be a nasty leg injury. His accomplice helped him to his feet and they ran off.

Gardaí were on the scene quickly, but the raiders had escaped. Investigators conducted a forensic examination at the restaurant yesterday and detectives hope that CCTV from the restaurant and retail park will help.

The suspects are believed to be aged in their teens. Both were wearing dark clothing, tight trousers, and masks. One was about 5ft 8in in height, the other a few inches taller.

Mr Khan said he plans to enhance night-time security on the premises after this and a spate of other incidents involving teenagers in recent weeks.

Mr Khan said that a pair of girls, aged 13 or 14, caused severe disruption at the restaurant earlier on Saturday at around 5.30pm.

“We had families in the restaurant at the same time, and these two young girls were so drunk we had to ask them to leave,” he said.

He said there has been an increase in anti-social activity since a 24-hour bus service linking Ballincollig to Carrigaline was introduced.