Gardaí have arrested two men for questioning about an incident where a group of men stole a scissors lift and went joyriding around Cork city centre.
The scissors lift was stolen from St Patrick’s Quay at about 8.30pm last night. Mary Elmes Bridge was damaged during an attempt to cross the river Lee from the north into the city centre.
Video was captured outside the GPO on St Oliver Plunkett Street, where four men could be seen on the scissors lift as it crashed into bollards before proceeding to Grand Parade.
On Grand Parade there were two men on the platform of the lift while another man could be seen hanging off the back of the vehicle as it careered down the busy thoroughfare.
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Gardaí finally stopped the vehicle and arrested two men at a checkpoint at the South Gate Bridge as they tried to cross the south channel of the river Lee.
Two men aged 20 and 31 were arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing criminal damage to Mary Elmes Bridge and taken to Mayfield Garda station for questioning.
Gardaí continue to question them this morning while Garda technical experts have begun an examination of the scissors lift for fingerprints and other evidence.
There were no reports of injuries during the incident, which went on for more than 15 minutes.
Scissors lifts, which are used to access heights similar to a cherry picker, can reach speeds of up to 10km per hour when the platform remains folded down, as in this incident.
