THIEVES used a JCB to smash their way into a supermarket cashpoint in the early hours of this morning.

The digger, from a building site, was used to crash through the wall of the Tow Law Co-operative store, in County Durham, at around 1.30am.

It is not yet known if any cash was taken.

Landlady Kareen Whittaker, of The Newmarket pub next door to the store, reported the raid.

She said: "I had just gone to bed and then there was this big bang.

"I ran to the window downstairs and there were flashing lights - it was a JCB.

"They had gone right through the wall. It was quite a shock."

Mrs Whittaker said a young man fled the scene.