One of two people - a man and a woman - arrested at the weekend over the kidnapping and ransoming of a mother and her four-year-old child in Co Down last week is to appear in court today.

The man (39) is charged with kidnapping and also with false imprisonment and robbery.

A woman - also 39 - has been released without charge.

It is believed that a ransom of £200,000 was paid after the so-called 'Tiger kidnapping' of the woman and her son who were taken hostage from their Killough home on Wednesday.

A gang held them in south Belfast for 12 hours while the woman's partner was told to get the ransom money.

The robbery is being probed by a PSNI team led by Detective Superintendent Karen Baxter who described the incident as a despicable crime.

"Here we have a mother and a four-year-old child, two vulnerable members of the community, who have been subjected to a frightening ordeal by a gang of organised criminals who cared only for their own personal gain," she said.

"While we know that the woman and her child were not physically harmed, one can only imagine the fear they must have felt as every hour went by, not knowing where their husband and father was, and hoping they would be set free unharmed."

See: Security Firm Targeted By Tiger Kidnapping

(BMcC)