A DIGGER was left embedded in the side of a shop and a truck was driven into a pub by ram-raiders who made dramatic attempts to steal money from cashpoints.

Detectives were still hunting the raiders today after they struck in the early hours of yesterday. The bids were unsuccessful on both occasions, but they left a trail of destruction in their wake.

The first raid was at 1.30am at the newly-opened Co-op in Tow Law, County Durham, when thieves crashed a stolen construction vehicle through the exterior wall.

Minutes later, and just a few miles away, at Tindale Crossing, a family pub in Bishop Auckland, a blue 4x4 was reversed at speed through the doors. It is thought the culprits were after a free-standing cashpoint located inside.

Police have not ruled out the possibility that the raids are linked.

Landlady of The Newmarket pub, next to the Co-op in Tow Law, Kareen Whittaker, raised the alarm.

The raiders took the yellow digger from a building site opposite the store, before driving into it. Their attempt to grab cash was unsuccessful and they made off in a stolen getaway van.

Mrs Whittaker 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, but I think they were waiting for me to turn the lights off.

“I got straight on the phone to the police.”

The group of men fled the scene in a red and blue flatbed transit van, stolen from Gurney Valley, in Eldon, Bishop Auckland, earlier this week. It was later abandoned in Wolsingham Road, near Tow Law.

Kelly Dawson, 21, who lives in Alpine Way, opposite the Coop, said: “When I got up this morning I thought they’d put a light above the cash machine and then I realised it was the light inside and there was a JCB stuck in the building. You expect these things to happen in London, not in Tow Law.”

The store was closed yesterday morning, while forensics experts examined the scene and officers interviewed residents.

A spokesman for The Co-op said: “Staff are obviously upset by the damage to the store and by the disruption this has caused.

“As with any incident such as this, The Co-operative is reviewing security measures at the store.”

A gang of at least two men, who raided the pub in West Auckland Road at about 1.50am, destroyed the doors, but found the cashpoint empty.

They were seen leaving the scene in the 4x4, which was reported stolen from Sedgefield earlier that night.

A spokesman for the pub said they were trading as normal, and added: “We are relieved no one was hurt and there was very little damage.”

Police are trawling CCTV footage for clues.

Det Sgt Mark Willoughby, of Durham Police’s south area serious crime team, said: “We cannot rule out the possibility the same team was behind both incidents, but it could also have just been a coincidence.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0345-60-60-365 or Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111.