AN ATTEMPTED robbery of Rathnure post office was foiled as outraged neighbours stepped in during the early hours of Saturday morning. Four members of the Redmond family gave chase for several miles as a high-powered Jeep fled the scene.

Aidan Redmond and his wife continued the chase even after their Volkswagen Passat was twice rammed by the would-be robbers.

Though their sons Aidan and Thomas dropped off the pace in a second car, the couple followed the Kildare-registered Toyota Land Cruiser at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour until they lost the unwelcome visitors near Ballywilliam. A BRAVE Rathnure family gave chase after they found thieves breaking down the door of their local post office at the weekend. And the car of Aidan Redmond was damaged after the would-be robbers reversed their powerful, getaway jeep into their Volkswagen Passat in the village of Rathnure.

The thieves had haulier Aidan Redmond on their tail, with his wife Bridget beside him in the passenger seat. Also in pursuit for several miles were the couple's sons Aidan junior and Thomas in a second Volkswagen.

The raiders hurtled along the Rathnure to Ballywilliam road at speeds of close to 100 miles per hour shortly before 5 a.m. on Saturday morning. However, they could not shake off Aidan senior and his wife until they disappeared up a side road somewhere between Ballywilliam and Templeudigan.

Afterwards, despite the damage to his vehicle, Aidan Redmond's only regret was that he did not bring a lorry to the scene, which would have completely blocked the exit route for the criminals. The post office beside the road between Killanne and Rathnure is run by long serving post mistress Eileen Ryan who lives next door.

The drama began around 4.30 a.m. when Aidan junior heard a noise that aroused his suspicions. He and brother Thomas were first at the scene where they discovered that a hole had been knocked through the door of the post office. Their parents arrived just as the jeep pulled away and headed towards New Ross, the Volkswagens on its tail.

It came to a halt in Rathnure village and twice reversed back into the vehicle piloted by Aidan Redmond senior, leaving the mark of the ball hitch on the Passat as it rammed the pursuer. However, the good citizens refused to be shaken off as the gang – believed to be three or four strong – took off at high speed for Ballywilliam.

Bridget used her mobile phone to call the Gardaí in New Ross as her sons dropped off the pace. However, contact was eventually lost as the jeep suddenly turned into a side road and was last seen heading in the general direction of Templeudigan. It carried Kildare registration plates believed to be false.

'You wouldn't be afraid because you would be caught up in it,' said Bridget Redmond afterwards, adding that she hoped the miscreants responsible would be caught.

Aidan Redmond felt that a lorry would have blocked the gang in. The Rathnure man commented: 'We wouldn't want to be a soft touch here, though they might think we are harmless.'

He revealed that the good citizens were armed with nothing more than a couple of hurls. 'It's terrible if people are not able to lay down in their beds without those lads coming around.'

- DAVID MEDCALF