Man assaulted and kidnapped son ransomed

An 11-year-old boy was in a state of shock today after he was abducted from his Co Antrim home last night.

Both the boy and his father were awoken in their Greenisland home by a gang of men who hooded and bound them before being placing the boy in the boot of the family car and being driven off.

His father was placed in the back of another car and was driven to a house where he was burned with cigarettes and assaulted.

Before releasing the victim the masked men then demanded money from the man for the safe return of his son.

The boy was eventually released when a ransom was delivered to a man on a red and white Scrambler-type motorbike in Ballyduff Brae, Newtownabbey several hours later.

The men told the boy's father that his son was to be found at the Knockagh monument in the town. The motorcyclist then handed the man the keys to the boot of the car where his son was to be found.

The boy was unharmed but traumatised by the event.

(MB)