Paolo’s pizza van lying burned out in the Creggan estate

A  pizza delivery man has been left traumatised after three masked men threatened to shoot him if he did not hand over his van, it has emerged.

The man’s 14-year-old daughter, who was a passenger in the van at the time, has been left “badly shaken” after they were forced out of the vehicle in the Glenowen area of Londonderry at around 11.30pm.

After ordering the driver and the young girl out of the vehicle, the hijackers made off in the van which was later found burnt out at Central Drive in Creggan.

It has emerged the van driver initially struggled with the hijackers and handed over the vehicle after they threatened to “kneecap” him.

It is the sixth time a vehicle belonging to Paolo’s Pizza has been burnt out.

Owner, Paul McShane, said he was “sickened” and “angered” at the incident which, he said, was putting people’s livelihoods in jeopardy.

The incident has been condemned by Creggan Sinn Fein Cllr Kevin Campbell as “scandalous.”

He said: “Here we have a business providing a service for the people of this city and now they have been left with a hefty bill plus the all the inconvenience this is going to cause with the day to day running of their business.”

A PSNI spokesperson asked anyone who may have witnessed the hijacking or the burning of the vehicle to contact police on the 101 non-emergency number.

The spokesperson added if someone preferred to provide information without giving their details they could contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555