Tilehurst Co-op targeted in suspected ram-raid

Police said burglars tried to steal the cash machine from the Tilehurst Co-op early on Tuesday morning

A supermarket has been targeted in a suspected ram-raid following two similar incidents at the weekend.

Thames Valley Police said it was investigating after a failed attempt to steal a cash machine from the Co-op store in Tilehurst, Berkshire, around 03:40 GMT on Tuesday morning.

It follows two other ram-raids in Wokingham on Sunday.

Local resident David Roth said it looked like a forklift truck had been used to force the shutters open.

He said when he went to buy a newspaper and lottery tickets at the Overdown Road shopping precinct at around 09:00 the area was "all sealed off".

"There was no police presence, the store was in complete darkness," he said.

"The shutters have been bent quite badly, which would indicate a forklift truck has been driven in and they tried to raise the shutter with a forklift, but the ATM seems to be OK."

Police believe the burglars had pumped gas into the cash machine in a bid to steal it, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Wokingham's Superbowl was also targeted in a ram-raid in the early hours of Sunday morning, police said

Over the weekend officers were called following two similar ram-raiding incidents in Wokingham, both in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The force said it received several reports of a burglary in progress around 03:30 on Bean Oak Road, but when officers arrived the offenders had fled the shop.

The other ram-raid took place at Wokingham Superbowl at 06:00 and is being investigated.

Officers have issued an appeal for witnesses to come forward and said they are "keeping an open mind" as to whether the three incidents are linked.