Special measures were put in place during two court sittings in relation to a trial involving known gangsters, the Irish Independent reports, because of concerns that a rival gang was planning an attack.

A source told the newspaper: “Gardaí were made aware of a threat by a senior player in one of the gangs that acid was to be thrown on the face of his rivals.

“The threat suggested gardaí could also be targeted and that this would happen at a district court sitting when a lot of protagonists in the feud would be in the same location.

“The information was that women would be enlisted to carry the acid in a bottle in their handbags and then throw it in the face of their targets which would of course cause life-changing injuries.

“Of course this is an extremely dangerous situation, but gardaí are on top of it as much as they can be.”