THIS is the vicious thug who’s at the centre of a nationwide manhunt after he was accused of attempting to mow down a brave garda, the Irish Sun on Sunday can reveal.

The young hood — who’s part of an organised Traveller mob behind a spate of burglaries across the country — is wanted after an officer in Co Wicklow was hit by a Skoda Activia last week.

A bulletin was sent to all Garda stations in a bid to track down the criminal after he was linked to the attack.

He’s accused of being part of a three-strong gang — including one woman — who targeted the guard after the officer attempted to remove their car keys.

The garda took the keys from the vehicle — fitted with false plates — after the suspects were accused of going on a shoplifting spree.

But the officer was then attacked and hit with a car door after he was overpowered by the mob. The gang then sped off sparking a nationwide search.

A source said: “The officer is lucky to be alive and he could have easily been killed. The gang were determined to get away.

“They were stealing clothes from stores across Wicklow and when they were spotted by the guard he attempted to stop them.

“This incident just goes to show how frontline gardai place their lives on the line each and every time they go to work.

“Once a description of the suspect was given he was immediately identified and now every officer in the country will be looking for him.”

Our exclusive image shows the suspect, 20, taunting his rivals by posing with a machete in a bullet-proof vest.

We can also reveal how his gang are wanted for a spate of thefts in Kildare, Sligo, Tullow, Thurles, Donegal and north Dublin.

The young thug — who drives high-powered vehicles in a bid to outrun gardai — has 18 convictions for theft and driving offences.

And we can also reveal how he’s the chief suspect for driving over a deliveryman during an attempted theft in Finglas, last December.

On that occasion, van driver Mervyn Heffernan, 47, from Enfield, Co Meath, was trapped under a getaway car and suffered serious burns caused by the exhaust pipe.

The Garda Air Support Unit and Dog Unit were also involved in the search to find the hood.

Since the incident, the burglar has been staying in different halting sites across the country. Detectives believe he could now be staying with pals at a site outside the capital.

As part of our investigation into the suspect’s gang, we can also reveal how he has links to Traveller suspects in Ballymun linked to a bogus NCT scam.

Our exclusive images also show the moment gardai stormed the site last Monday.

It is alleged that the suspects were producing dodgy car certificates near a busy NCT centre, also in Ballymun.

Officers swooped as part of a probe into Ireland’s stolen car industry. During the raid, detectives discovered tools for making bogus NCT forms. They also recovered hundreds of fake NCT certs, thousands of blank car registration forms and tax discs.

And the young hood at the centre of the manhunt is also a close associate of Patrick ‘Pope’ Maughan, 55.

Maughan, from Ballymun, north Dublin, is also on the run after he was linked to a spate of house raids across the country.

Gardai have also issued a bulletin for Maughan and are desperate to find him.

A source added: “Maughan’s wanted because he has emerged as a suspect for a number of thefts from homes.

“He hasn’t been seen at his old stronghold in north Dublin and the suspicion is that he could be outside the capital.”

@SteBreen