There are fears an unsuccessful planned raid in Cork last night was a “copycat” event – and that similar incidents may arise in the future.

Armed gardaí and the garda riot squad attended the scene on St Patrick’s Street, as dozens of teenagers gathered for what is believed to have been a pre-planned raid on a sports shop in the city centre.

Shortly after 6pm, up to 100 youths, could be seen running along St. Patricks Street. The teenagers, who were donned in black with faces covered, fled when the gardaí arrived, according to the Irish Examiner.

Gardaí were made aware of the potential raid on a JD Sports store after seeing a message circulating social media calling for people to meet at a fast-food restaurant on Winthrop Street before proceeding to “yam that shop”.

The message read: “You must wear all black with bally (balaclava) and gloves.

“You only have one minute to yam that shop. This is at your own risk.

“Don’t come if you can’t run. Don’t come in uniform.”

The incident comes after dozens of hooded youths raided a JD Sports store in London last week, fleeing with armfuls of stolen clothes.

Meanwhile, in Amsterdam, a large group of men, armed with knives, raided another JD Sports branch on Thursday night.

Two Belgian stores of the British-owned sportswear chain were also raided in the last week.

Fergal Dennehy, a Fianna Fáil councillor for Cork City South-West, said that he fears the pre-planned raid in Cork was a “copycat” event and that more similar incidents may arise in the future.

“I think it’s frightening,” he said.

“I think no doubt it is a copycat event. It seems like some kind of craze that they are getting dragged into but someone needs to explain to them the reality of what they are doing.

“I completely support the freedom to congregate but in this case it seems obvious to all that the intention wasn’t to simply hang out when people were dressed in black with balaclavas. These people need to be pulled aside and let know the potential of what they were going to do could have.

“The guards need to nip this in the bud.  They need to get to the bottom of it immediately and curb it,” he continued.

“It’s a very frightening event that could potentially have happened in our city so I think it needs to be stopped as quickly as possibe. For some reason people think it’s fun or it’s acceptable and it’s obviously mob mentality which needs to be curbed as quickly as possible.

“You’ve got to wonder, do these young people realise the jobs they’re putting in jeopardy, that there are people invested heavily in these businesses – some who are struggling to pay rent and pay rents, particular this time of year?”

Gardaí told Independent.ie that they were made aware of the plans and attended the scene, whoever no arrests could be made because no offences occurred.

“Gardaí were made aware of the potential for an incident to occur at a retail premises on Patricks Street Cork city on November 8,” a spokesperson said,

“Additional resources were deployed to the area to prevent any incident occurring. No offences have been occurred in the area. Gardaí continue to patrol the area currently.

“If nothing occurs we can’t arrest. Gardaí were made aware so were present to prevent an event.”

Another JD Sports’ story in Cork, located in the Savoy Centre (Champion Sport), is currently closed for an unrelated refurbishment.

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