THREE CHILDREN were held captive at gunpoint while their father was forced to take money from his workplace in Belfast.
The three girls, one aged 15 and the other two aged eight, were put in their bedroom after two assailants, one carrying a handgun, entered their house in Lisburn on Sunday night.
The father and mother were held in another part of the house and at 6.45am yesterday the father was forced to go to his work at Next in Belfast and hand over cash, believed to be about £30,000 (€31,000), to the gang.
A police spokesman said the family had been freed. "While they were not physically harmed, they were very upset by their ordeal," he said.
Police are appealing for information about a car which was used in the robbery. The silver Mitsubishi Carisma was taken from the family's home. It bears the registration number NCZ 7782.
Anyone who saw suspicious activity in the Lagmore area of Lisburn on Sunday night at 9pm, or saw the Mitsubishi Carisma in the area of Donegall Place and Royal Avenue after 7am yesterday, is asked to contact detectives.
Police are advising all businesses to ensure they have proper safety measures in place for their staff and premises. Any key personnel who notice suspicious activity at or near a business or near their home are asked to call police immediately. A handgun was used during the incident.
A Next spokeswoman said: "The Police Service of Northern Ireland are investigating an incident that occurred in our Belfast Donegall Place store this morning.
"Next is co-operating fully with the ongoing police investigation."