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A man is being treated in hospital following a robbery and hijacking in Co Laois this morning.
The incident began at the Emo filling station in Mountrath when a masked man entered the shop and threatened staff with a firearm shortly after midnight.
The man held up a member of staff and took a quantity of cash before fleeing the scene in a vehicle.
It’s understood a shot was fired before the robber fled.
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The man crashed his getaway car but hijacked another vehicle from a passing motorist. He subsequently crashed this vehicle.
Gardaí attending the scene subsequently came on the second crashed vehicle.
The suspect, who is in his 30s, was arrested and firearm recovered after a search of the area by offieers.
The man is being treated at the Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamored for injuries believed to have beenesustained in the crash.
Gardaí said a number of crime scenes had been preserved this morning and further searches will be conducted today.