A man has been taken to hospital after he was assaulted and kidnapped in County Donegal yesterday.

Five people have been arrested in Northern Ireland in connection with the attack in Convoy, County Donegal at around 11:45am.

Investigators believe the attack was related to a car crash in the early hours of the morning in Ballybofey.

Gardaí investigating reports of a car being rammed in the Town View Heights area of the town at around 2:30am found an abandoned car with “extensive damage.”

They then gave chase to a Silver Seat Leon driving at speed in the direction of Killygordan; however, they lost sight of it when it crossed the border into the North.

The same car was then set on fire outside a house at Finn View in Lifford at 6:20am.

A local resident heard a “loud bang” and saw the car crash into a wall while on fire.

The flames were put out by local fire services; however, extensive damage was caused to a house in the area.

Then, at around 11:45am, a man in his 30s was assaulted by three men at a house in Convoy.

He was forced into a Grey Mercedes Benz and taken from the scene.

Gardaí believed the car may have crossed into the North and launched a search operation with the support of the PSNI.

The man was found back in Convoy at around 5:40pm and taken to Letterkenny University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries

The PSNI then found the Mercedes outside a house in Castlederg, County Tyrone and three men and two women were arrested

Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to all three incidents.

They are particularly interested in talking to anyone who saw the Grey Mercedes Benz C Series, registration number, 09 MH 17020.

They are also interested in talking to the Silver Seat Leon, registration number 05 LH 6614 in the early hours of the morning.