BY FRANK FARRAGHER

DETECTIVES are investigating an incident close to a city hotel at the weekend in which a security man was knocked down by a car, shortly after he had reported suspicious activity in the area to Gardaí.

The Connacht Sentinel has learned that the security man had noticed a man ‘acting suspiciously’ shortly before 8pm on Saturday night but kept him under surveillance as he made contact with another individual in the car-park area of the hotel.

It is understood that the man, who had been ‘hanging around’ close to the front entrance of the Menlo Park Hotel, exchanged small packages with the other man – a third person in a waiting car became aware that the Gardaí had been called and drove his vehicle towards the security man.

The security man was swept onto the bonnet of the car and was knocked to the ground before the two men who had exchanged packages, fled on foot towards a nearby housing estate.

Gardaí are understood to have arrived on the scene shortly after and arrested the driver of the car – the arrested man also had a young child in the car with him.

The driver of the car is likely to be charged in relation to motoring offences over the coming days. Detectives investigating the incident have studied ‘good quality’ CCTV footage of the events that took place.

The security man was taken to University Hospital Galway on Saturday evening but was released the following morning after being treated for bruising and superficial injuries.

One of the lines of inquiry being pursued by Gardaí is that the three man gang may have been involved in a drugs deal that was ‘interrupted’ by the security man.

Read more in today’s Connacht Sentinel