Suspected ram-raid at Co-op store in Long Bennington

Police are investigating a suspected ram raid at a Co-op store.

The Co-op on Main Road, Long Bennington, was targeted in the early hours of this morning (Tuesday), while it was closed.

Debris was strewn across the carpark. The shutter was mangled and there was structural damage to the front of the building.

A Daihatsu car with some damage was inside the police cordon with its engine still running.

Lincolnshire Police said it received a report of a break-in at 1.35am of a burglary at the Co-op foodstore.

A cordon was in place at the scene and the store was closed while forensic examinations took place.

Scenes of crime officers were at the scene.

A Lincolnshire Police spokesman said: "We are continuing to conduct house-to-house inquiries on this incident, and our CID team are leading the investigation, which also includes analysing all the CCTV footage."

The Leicestershire & Rutland 4x4 Response Daihatsu was stolen from the Melton Mowbray area on Monday.

Leicestershire & Rutland 4x4 Response is a registered charity made up of volunteers who use their own vehicles and equipment to provide assistance to the emergency services and community in times of severe weather or disaster.

Members, who are all unpaid, all drive 4x4s and are ready to help when the call comes.

They could be called upon to transport NHS staff in and out of work, or doctors to a remote property, if they are unable to make it themselves.

They help maintain road closures during times of bad weather and assist in the recovery of stranded vehicles and deliver meals.

Media officer Nigel Spencer said the member who owned the vehicle had used it in support of a number of community events such as Remembrance Day.

He said that because of the damage, the vehicle was now lost to their service and the owner had indicated he wouldn't be replacing it with another 4x4.

"I've never understood the need to steal - go and get a job and earn money to buy what you want," said Mr Spencer.

"Stealing from a service such as ours that is there to help people in times of trouble really is the lowest of the low.

"If there's more harsh weather, for instance, we might have needed to call on that vehicle.

"We're all volunteers and the cost of any damage to a vehicle is met by the owner. We've offered to the owner of this vehicle, who has been with us for a number of years, that he can join the control staff if he wants to so he isn't totally lost to our service."

A spokesman for Lincolnshire Co-op said the store re-opened at 5.30pm on Tuesday.

No arrests have been made.

Anyone with information should call Lincolnshire Police on 101.