Police link string of car hijackings and assaults on drivers

Q Radio news

Police have linked a series of car hijackings and assaults across Newcastle, Lisburn, Carryduff and west Belfast .

Officers were spotted conducting searches in the Springfield Road area of west Belfast with a K-9 dog unit after a series of incidents on Saturday morning. 

At around 11am police received a report that three women had been assaulted by two men travelling in a Volkswagen Golf on the Newcastle Road in Dundrum ,close to the 12 Arches.

 At around 11.40am it was reported that a grey coloured Volkswagen Golf had been involved in a road traffic collision on the Old Ballynahinch Road in Lisburn.

The two male occupants of the Volkswagen hijacked a Peugeot 208 car at the scene before making off.  

A short time later police received reports of an attempted hijacking and hijacking in the Saintfield Road area of Belfast .

A Renault Clio car had been stolen from its owner in the vicinity of Purdysburn Road a short time later before it was driven recklessly in the Boucher Road and Beechmount areas.

The car was eventually abandoned and set on fire in Beechmount Avenue shortly before 12.25pm.

 Detectives are particularly keen to speak with anyone who was travelling on any of these roads and who has dashcam footage of the incidents to get in touch.

Pics by Alan Lewis - Photopress