Police in the North are investigating the attempted hijacking of a car in County Down in the early hours of this morning.

At around midnight, a male motorist was flagged down by two male pedestrians in the Peggys Loaning area of Banbridge.

They asked the driver to take them into Banbridge town centre, but once inside the car they became threatening and aggressive and demanded that the driver take them to Hilltown.

They then attempted to take the car from him at Rathfriland Road.

Passers-by came to the driver's assistance and the two men made off across nearby fields.

The driver was not injured in the incident.