A man is being treated in hospital after an armed robbery and hijacking at a petrol station in County Laois overnight.

It happened at around 12:30am at Emo Filling Station in Mountrath, near Abbeyleix.

A masked man entered the Filling Station in the early hours of this morning and threatened a staff member with a gun.

He made off with a quantity of cash - but subsequently crashed his getaway car outside a house in Derrykearn.

When the occupants of the house checked the well-being of the driver, a shot was fired.

The suspect then fled in a second car stolen from the occupants of the house, but again collided with a tree - around one and a half kilometres from the original collision.

The suspect was removed to Tullamore General hospital where he is described as being in a serious condition.

Investigations are on-going.