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A man has been attacked with baseball bats and an iron bar during an aggravated burglary at a house in Newry.

Police said it was reported that three masked men entered the property in Springfarm Heights through a window at about 02:45 GMT on Tuesday.

The man was struck a number of times by the intruders before managing to escape from the house to shout for help.

The men then took keys to a red Vauxhall car and drove off.

A short time later, information was received from an off-duty police officer that a car matching the description had crashed on the southbound carriageway of the A1.

Police officers assisted by a police dog attended and three men, aged 27, 30 and 33, were arrested in the vicinity of the crashed car.

They were arrested on suspicion of a number of offences including aggravated burglary and aggravated taking and driving away.

Police said the occupant of the house sustained cuts and bruising as a result of the incident and was also left badly shaken.