Gardai were today continuing to investigate a number of superglue attacks on betting shops in the Galway area.

A garda spokeswoman said nobody had yet been arrested after up to a dozen shops were targeted in Galway city, Athenry and Oranmore with keyholes filled with the powerful adhesive.

In the midst of the Galway Racing Festival, staff at bookmakers´ firms were warned to keep locks on doors and shutters well oiled after superglue attacks on a number of betting shops.

Managers at Ladbrokes outlets and local chain Mulhollands arrived at shops yesterday to find keyholes smothered in superglue.

A spokesman for William Hill, which owns betting firm Stanley Racing, said security officers had contacted managers to ensure they took precautions to keep shops open.

Betting shop staff were being warned to spray oil on locks or buy anti-adhesive substances to prevent the superglue from setting in case of further attacks.

It was feared thousands of euro in takings could have been lost with the closure of shops during the popular Galway festival.

Betting shops in Galway and Dublin were targeted in a similar fashion around three years ago in the run-up to the Grand National.

It is understood animal rights activists opposed to greyhound and horse racing issued threats to bookmakers during the Cheltenham national hunt festival last March.

However, it is not clear if the latest incidents were the work of vandals or animal rights activists.

? PA Sport