Gardaí were last night continuing to search for six members of a criminal gang who injured two gardaí when they rammed a Garda checkpoint while trying to flee after stealing metal in Co Kilkenny early yesterday morning.
The gang stole a substantial quantity of copper, aluminium and steel from a compound near the Glanbia premises at Ballyragget.
When the alarm was raised by night staff, gardaí mounted a series of checkpoints on roads surrounding the plant.
Gardaí from Kilkenny and Abbeyleix responded and placed two marked patrol cars on the road to Lisdowney near the plant. The gang approached the checkpoint in two saloon-type cars, towing two trailers containing the stolen metals at about 3am.
It is understood the gang rammed the patrol cars. Garda Trevor Shore, an officer in one of the vehicles, sustained neck and back injuries. Garda Eoin Behan, aofficer on foot, was also struck by one of the cars and suffered more serious injuries.
Both officers were taken to St Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny where Garda Behan was admitted for treatment. A hospital spokeswoman said yesterday afternoon that his injuries were not life-threatening and he was "comfortable and doing well".
Garda Behan is stationed at Abbeyleix, Co Laois. He is a native of Johnstown, Co Kilkenny, where he plays hurling with the local Fenians club. He is in his late 20s and has played minor and under-21 hurling for Kilkenny.
It is believed Garda Shore, who is in his early 30s and stationed in Kilkenny, did not require hospital treatment though he was said to be shaken by the incident which resulted in one of the patrol cars being completely written off.
The occupants of the two cars which rammed the checkpoint fled on foot into nearby fields.
Gardaí later apprehended one man in his 20s and brought him to Kilkenny Garda station.
A major search operation took place after the incident with up to 100 officers combing extensive tracts of woodland and farmland around Ballyragget.
The Garda Dog Unit based in Dublin also joined in while the Garda Air Support Unit helicopter - which has heat-identifying equipment - carried out sweeps after early-morning fog.
Armed officers joined in the search for the fugitives, whom gardaí believe are members of a travelling criminal gang based in a number of towns in Co Laois. They have been known to travel up to 160km (100 miles) in night-time raids for copper and other scrap metals.
Garda technical experts yesterday carried out forensic examinations of both cars used by the gang. Officers believe they were "company cars" bought cheaply and fitted with false plates.
Technical experts carried out a forensic examination of the stolen copper, aluminium and steel in the hope they might find fingerprints which would help identify the members of the gang.
The storage compound is behind the Glanbia plant just off the N77 main road to Durrow and 20km (12 miles) north of Kilkenny city.
A spokeswoman at Glanbia headquarters in Kilkenny said the company did not yet know what was stolen and could not confirm reports the thieves had loaded copper wire into two trailers. The factory operates on a 24-hour shift basis.
A local woman said "the gang would be likely to have someone in the area to tell them how to get in". She had been "woken during the night by the noise but thought it was the sound of a farmer making silage". A man living opposite the factory, who also declined to be named, said he had "heard nothing until [ he] woke up at 6.30am and heard all the commotion".
He claimed the "compound was targeted [ by thieves] a couple of times in the past".