A mother and son subjected to a horrifying ordeal when they feared terrorists would turn them into human bombs have been praised for their bravery.

The south Down woman was driving a horse lorry through trouble-hit Lurgan when she was hijacked at gunpoint on Saturday night. The terrorists told her they had strapped explosives to the vehicle and ordered her to drive it to the Co Armagh town’s police station.

The woman and her teenage son were making their way home from a showjumping event at Portmore Equestrian Centre when dissident republicans, rioting for the third night in a row, targeted their truck.

The terrifying incident happened at about 10pm as dissidents vented their anger at the jailing of three Continuity IRA members.

Armed and masked men stopped the horse lorry, which had at least one expensive pony inside, as it approached a flashpoint close to the nationalist Kilwilkie estate.

The gunmen said they had attached a bomb to the vehicle and demanded it be driven to the nearest PSNI station, before fleeing on foot.

But the brave mother defied the terrorists’ orders. She drove a short distance away before contacting police who examined the lorry. Nothing suspicious was found.

Last night a source told the Belfast Telegraph the victim was “really annoyed” by what had happened. This latest attack was a sinister reminder of a deadly tactic adopted by the Provisional IRA.

In October 1990 six soldiers were killed and 35 people injured when a lorry driver was forced to transport a bomb to an Army checkpoint on the border between Derry and Donegal. Patsy Gillespie, a civilian employed by the Army, also died in the explosion as his family were held at gunpoint.

SDLP MLA Dolores Kelly described those behind the hijackings as “evil scum”.

“These people really are just spoiling for a fight and they don’t care who suffers in their quest for an attack.

“It must have been a terrifying experience. The woman was very brave. She made the right decision in driving what she believed to be a bomb away from a built-up area and calling the police.”

In a statement released yesterday the PSNI urged anyone with information about the incident to come forward.

A spokesperson said: “The woman drove a short distance before getting out and informing police. The vehicle was checked but nothing untoward was found.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 0845 600 8000 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.