JD Sports looting craze hits Cork

Armed gardaí and the Garda Public Order Unit were deployed to the city centre on Friday following fears that a store on Patrick's St was going to be robbed.

A planned robbery was set to take place at JD Sports on the same evening as robberies at stores in Stoke and Croydon in the UK. Several other locations in Europe and the UK have fallen victim to looting or planned attempts.

The craze swept across Europe following a racist incident in a store in Liège, Belgium, in which a store manager was recorded addressing employees with discriminatory language.

Up to 100 youths were reported as assembling on Patrick's St on Friday, some of whom engaged in anti-social behaviour. The group were dispersed by gardaí patrolling the area.

A statement from the Garda Press Office said: "Gardaí were made aware of the potential for an incident to occur at a retail premises on Patrick’s Street Cork city on 8 November. Additional resources were deployed to the area to prevent any incident occurring. No offences have occurred in the area."

Gardaí patrolled the area after a message circulated online calling for youths to participate in a robbery of JD Sports. The disturbing message suggested meeting at McDonald’s on Winthrop St on Friday, dressed in black with ‘bally (balaclava) and gloves’. The message also said ‘don’t come in uniform’ suggesting the message was circulated among students.

No arrests were made, and gardaí are continuing their investigation.