Garda Chief Superintendent Barry McPolin addressed the Cork County Joint Policing Committee this week.Photo: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision

Appeal after Blackpool joyride incident

Gardaí are appealing for anyone whose vehicle was damaged during a joyriding incident this week to come forward.

The appeal follows the incident on Tuesday when gardaí were alerted to dangerous driving at 12pm in Blackpool Retail Park.

During the rampage, the driver, a juvenile, hit two vans and a car in which an elderly lady was injured.

A statement released by the gardaí said: “The car he was driving, which is believed to have been stolen this morning from the Shandon Street area of Cork city, was involved in a number of road traffic collisions in the Blackpool area shortly before 12 midday. A woman received non-life threatening injuries as a result of one of the collisions and has been brought to Cork University Hospital.”

While attempting to escape, the car hit a barrier, and the driver attempted to flee the scene. He was pursued by a member of the public and responding gardaí, who eventually apprehended him. The juvenile, aged in his mid-teens, was brought to custody in Mayfield Garda Station where he was being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at the time of going to print yesterday.

Gardaí are appealing for witnesses or anyone who may have camera footage of the incident to contact them at Watercourse Road Garda Station on 021-4558260.

The incident came just one day after a Joint Policing Committee (JPC) meeting in which gardaí reported a taskforce were successfully tackling car theft in Cork. The taskforce named Operation Joyrider targeted individuals involved in the theft of cars, and property from cars.

Speaking at the JPC meeting, Chief Superintendent Barry McPolin said: “It is a success story, and it’s ongoing. Some of them were caught in the act of committing, or subsequently. Part of the operation was targeting the main suspects in this case. We recovered a lot of stolen property. There have been successful prosecutions in the courts and there are a number of prosecutions pending.”