Last updated 09:57, Wednesday, 23 July 2008

Staff are this morning assessing the damage caused by thieves who used a stolen Land Rover to ram-raid Dalston Co-op earlier today.

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The Co-op in Dalston which was broken into early this morning

The raid happened in the early hours of this morning, just before 2.45am, at the store in the centre of the village.

Police say two or three males used the red Land Rover Discovery to reverse into the front of the building.

The impact smashed the huge front window and pulled the door off its hinges.

It triggered the alarm system, waking nearby residents and alerting the police.

The men were seen to leave the vehicle and enter the premises before fleeing from the scene in the vehicle.

Store manager Delia Emmett, who lives in the village, was awoken just before 3am and called to the scene.

After spending the night helping police with investigations, she and her staff were this morning setting about clearing up the mess and repairing the damage.

Mrs Emmett believes the offenders were aiming for the in-store cash point, but failed to break it open during the raid. She added that the impact of the vehicle had caused significant damage to the building, though the exact cost of repairing the toughened glass window and front door is not yet known.

Police are appealing for witnesses who may have seen the vehicle or any people acting suspiciously near the Co-op over the past few days.

The Land Rover Discovery was reported stolen from Abbeytown on Monday.

Police say several witnesses have already come forward after seeing two or three males get out of the vehicle and take property from the store.

They are still trying to determine if anything was stolen.

Anyone with information about the raid is urged to contact Carlisle police on 0845 3300247 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.