Ram-raiders destroy service station building in Whittlesey

The ram-raid happened at 02:55 BST according to Cambridgeshire Police

Ram-raiders using a JCB digger and a forklift truck destroyed a petrol station building in a bid to steal a cash machine.

The would-be thieves - four men dressed in black - struck at a service station in East Delph, Whittlesey at 02:55 BST.

Cambridgeshire Police said the cash machine was left at the scene and it was not clear whether cash or anything else was stolen.

Fire crews closed the petrol station on safety grounds.

Two other trucks were also used in the raid.

A red car - possibly an Audi - was seen leaving in the direction of the Dog In A Doublet pub and Thorney, Cambridgeshire Police said.

The fire service closed off the service station after a large part of the building was smashed in the raid

Clear-up work began on Tuesday morning at the site on the B1040

Police said the cash machine was left at the scene, after the building was destroyed

On Saturday, a JCB was used to steal a cash machine from a newsagent's in Harlow in Essex.

A police spokesman said it was "too early to say whether it [the Whittlesey raid] is being linked to others, but we are keeping an open mind".