Motorists warned to be alert after spate of hijackings across Northern Ireland

Motorists have been warned to be alert after a series of hijackings and attempted hijackings within a seven-hour period across Northern Ireland.

A woman was left badly shaken after being pulled from her van in the early hours of Monday morning.

The female motorist was driving in the Red Lion Road area of Loughgall, Co Armagh at around 2am, when she was flagged down by two males who were claiming to need assistance.

When she pulled over they pulled her from the vehicle and drove off in her van.

The victim was unharmed but was said to have been left badly shaken by her ordeal.

The van was found a short distance away and the driver’s handbag had been stolen.

Elsewhere, a female motorist managed to drive off after her car was attacked by a man wielding a weapon in an attempted hijacking in Newry on Sunday evening.

The woman was parked outside a licenced premises in the Drumintee Road area of Newry when at 8.35pm a man — armed with a crowbar — approached her and ordered her to get out of her grey coloured Mercedes.

The man smashed the driver’s window of the car and while she managed to drive off unharmed the motorist has been left badly shaken by her ordeal.

The third hijacking took place in north Belfast on Sunday evening.

Three men were sitting in a car at Mountcollyer Avenue at around 9.05pm when they were approached by an armed man who ordered them from the Vauxhall Astra car.

One of the men was assaulted before three hijackers drove off in the car.

A PSNI Detective Sergeant said: “The males then got out of the car and one of the males was assaulted during the incident.

“Three males then got into the car and drove off.

“The car was found crashed into a parked car at the Glencollyer Road area a short time later.”

While none of the incidents are thought to be related they form a worrying pattern, a member of the Policing Board has said.

Dolores Kelly MLA said just last week she had questioned senior officers at the Policing Board about the increase in so called “acquisition crime”, often seen to escalate at certain times of the year.

“The normal safety advice always applies — locking car doors, being alert, not leaving valuables in clear view, but people also need to be alert of anyone acting suspicious around traffic lights and junctions where a lot of hijackings stake place,” said Mrs Kelly.

“While the loss of a vehicle can be devastating in terms of impact on earning a living and general mobility, a car can always be replaced whereas a life cannot.

“Police should be running information drives about this type of crime to try and keep people safe, and also anyone concerned should know that crime prevention officers are there for advice.

“I would also say that if a woman is travelling alone they should report anyone trying to flag down your car to police immediately so they can assist if genuine, rather than stopping and putting yourself at risk,” the Upper Bann Assembly member added.

Police enquiries are continuing, and officers have appealed for anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity in any of the incidents, or who may have dash-cam footage, to contact detectives.

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