SMASH and grab thieves ram-raided a Thurrock village shop in the middle of the night, making off with a cash till and cigarettes.

The incident happened in the early hours of this morning (Thursday, 18 March) at Linford Food & Wine on the parade of shops on East Tilbury Road, Linford.

At around 1.15am a vehicle was driven into the store's security shutters, smashing them open and breaking the window and door, allowing entry for the thieves who grabbed stock and the till before driving off.

The shop is adjacent to York's Butchers which was also the victim of an overnight robbery in the days leading up to last Christmas.

A police statement says: "The collision caused extensive damage to the front of the building and the vehicle left the scene before officers arrived.

"Our enquiries are ongoing.

"Anyone who may have seen the incident is asked to contact us on 101, quoting incident 51 of 18 March or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."