GARDAI suspect four armed raiders who went on a crime spree across Tipperary and Limerick last week may be from Kilkenny.
At around 3.30am on Thursday morning, the gang of men broke into a filling station in Doon, Co. Limerick, and stole about €70
0 in cash and a quantity of cigarettes.
Gardai believe the same gang then travelled to Dundrum in west Tipperary where they forced their way into a shop at about 4.10am.
Gardai believe the men were driving a car with stolen license plates with the registration 08 KK 1010. The plates were stolen from a car in Cellarstown, Co. Kilkenny shortly after 1am on the night in question.
Sledges and other implements were used during both burglaries and some cash was taken from the Dundrum shop before the gang was startled by a garda car as they attempted to break into a strong room. The gang then attacked a garda car with crowbars and later rammed police after being pursued across west Tipperary.
A garda spokesman said the gang attacked the garda car with nail bars, sledge hammers, and other items, and rammed the car with their own vehicle as they made their getaway. Two gardai escaped uninjured from the incident but gave chase across west Tipperary, following a blue or purple 2.5L Ford Focus ST which Gardai say is an unusual in Ireland.
No clear description is available of them and the car in question has not yet been locate, but based on the direction the car was travelling and the stolen plates, gardai believe the four men may be from Kilkenny and are appealing for witnesses in relation to the incident.
Members of the public should contact Tipperary Town Garda Station at 062 80670.
