An attempted break-in in East Cambridgeshire has been linked to a series of other recent raids across East Anglia.
Thieves attempted to remove the ATM machine from a Co-Op store in Isleham on February 7, and police say the incident could be linked to similar crimes in Manningtree, Roydon and Capel St Mary in Suffolk, say police.
Following reports of the overnight raids across the county, police are appealing for anyone who saw a silver hatchback car to get in touch.
Two men are believed to have carried out the crimes, stealing thousands of pounds worth of cigarettes, as well as cash and alcohol.
Suspects for the Woolpit crime have been described as two men – one who was wearing grey jogging trousers with three white stripes, a blue jacket, a green body warmer, face covering, and gloves. The other man is reported to have been wearing a full length green jacket and a black face covering.
This took place at 2.45am at the Costcutter in Church Street.
The suspects described at the Hadleigh burglary, at 2am in Lady Lane, pictured here on CCTV, were described as two men wearing balaclavas, heavy coats and gloves.
Officers were on the scene of the Capel St Mary burglary but suspects had already fled the scene.
Police said a silver hatchback car was believed to have been used in the Hadleigh and Woolpit incidents,
A spokeswoman said: “Officers are now investigating possible links between these burglaries and other similar incidents that took place last night and this morning in Essex, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk.”
The Essex incident saw a break-in at the Tesco Express in Manningtree’s High Street.
Essex Police said they were called around 1.10am today (February 8).
“An attempt was made to gain access to a cigarette cabinet,” said a spokesman. “It is not believed anything was taken.”
The Roydon incident was at 3.50am at services in High Road and saw cigarettes and alcohol stolen, also in a ram-raid.
The Cambridgeshire incident was the Co-op store in Isleham.
A police spokeswoman said: “We were called at just before midnight last night (February 7) with reports of an attempted break-in at the Co-op in West Street, Isleham.
“Reports state there were four men in balaclavas using a 4x4 vehicle to attempt to remove an ATM from the store.
“The offenders were unsuccessful in their attempts to remove the ATM and were seen to make off in a green Audi estate.”
Contact police
Here are the reference numbers to contact police with if you have information about any of the incidents.
• Manningtree Tesco Express: Contact Essex Police on 101 quoting incident 36 of February 8
• Capel St Mary Bypass Nurseries café: Contact Suffolk Constabulary on 101 quoting reference 16549/17.
• Londis at Lady Lane services in Hadleigh: Contact Suffolk Constabulary on 101 quoting reference 16545/17
• Costcutter at Woolpit services in Church Street: Contact Suffolk Constabulary on 101 quoting reference 16548/17
• Roydon service station in High Road: Contact Norfolk Constabulary on 101 quoting reference 36/17465/17
• Isleham Co-op in West Street: Contact Cambridgeshire Consbulary on 101 quoting reference 630 of February 7.
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