Four men are due to appear in court today (Tuesday) charged with an ATM ram raid at a Long Sutton store.

Levi Mitchell, 31, of Gibb Croft, Harlow, Leo Smith, 20, from Spriggs Road, Peterborough, Levi Smith, 49, of Conniston Road, Peterborough, and Dale Smith, 28, of Malvern Meadows, Worcester, have all been charged with conspiracy to burgle a Spar shop in Long Sutton, yesterday (Monday).

All four were arrested after a JCB was used to remove an ATM from the wall of the store in the early hours of the morning. The cash machine was recovered from the scene intact.

The investigation is being co-ordinated by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) which is leading an investigation into a series of similar offences across Essex, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Lincolnshire.

ERSOU Detective Superintendent Trevor Rodenhurst said: “We are committed to investigating this type of crime which can have a huge impact, not only financially for the businesses affected, but also for communities which oftenrely on ATMs in rural or isolated areas.”

All four will appear at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court today.