Gardai are searching for a 13-year-old mugger who attacked two young boys and demanded money from them.
The suspect attacked the boys who are also aged just 11 and 13 in broad daylight in Letterkenny, Co Donegal.
The frightening incident happened around 11am on Saturday morning last at Pearse Road close to the Station House Hotel.
The attacker approached the boys and demanded money from them.
When they refused he attacked them and punched them in the face.
Garda Niall Maguire said the attack lasted for up to ten minutes leaving the youngsters terrified.
The suspect in the attack is believed to be as young as 13 or 14 years old, he added.
“You can image that kids so young being faced with something like this. It’s horrific. The attack was sustained and it lasted up to ten minutes.
“They were punched in the face and money was demanded from them,” he said.
Gardai are now downloading CCTV footage in the area in a bid to identify the teenager suspected of carrying out the attack.
They particularly want to speak to the driver of a red car who had to swerve out of the way of the victims as they fled the scene.
Anybody who may have witnessed the attack in what was a very busy area at a busy time of the day is asked to contact Letterkenny Garda station.
