Armed robber holds elderly man and woman at knife-point during attempted robberies

The incident happened was reported to have happened around 8.40am after the householder opened his door after seeing an intruder in the back garden in the Church Road area.

The intruder then forced his way into the kitchen and during a struggle the knife was reportedly put to the householder's neck – but no injuries were reported to police.

The intruder then made off on foot.

A short time later police received a report that a man matching the same description as the intruder tried to steal a woman's handbag.

According to the PSNI the woman sustained a minor cut after the man pulled her hair and brought her to the ground bringing a knife towards her face.

Detective Sergeant Cargin said: "Our enquiries into these reports, which we believe are linked, are ongoing and we would greatly appreciate the public's assistance.“Anyone who noticed a man acting suspiciously in the Church Road, Craignish Crescent and surrounding areas in Dundonald between 8.30am and 8.50am today or who may have CCTV, dashcam, or other video footage is asked to contact us on 101, quoting reference 368 of 03/05/23.“You will see our officers in the Dundonald and wider Ballybeen area as we conduct our investigation and we will be continuing to conduct high-visibility patrols in the area in order to provide reassurance to the community.”You can also submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/