A MAN HAS been arrested in Limerick after stealing a car containing three children that had been parked outside a shopping centre earlier today.

The car was parked with the keys in the ignition outside Centra at Woodview Shopping Centre on the Old Cratloe Road shortly after 9am this morning. Two boys and girl, aged between three and 12 years of age, were left in the car while their mother went into the shop, according to RTÉ.

A man opened the car and ordered the two older children to get out. He then drove away with the the three-year-old boy in the backseat, the Irish Times reports.

The man, aged in his early 30s, drove to a local pub and let the child out of the car; he then continued driving while gardaí pursued. After a time, the car crashed at Delmege Demense.

When gardaí moved towards the car, the man reportedly began driving the vehicle at towards them. At that point, two shots were fired at the car by a member of the Regional Armed Support Unit “to prevent serious loss of life”.

The man was wearing a bullet-proof vest and was not injured.

He is now being held at Henry Street Garda station.