POLICE were today investigating possible links between three ram-raids that happened within two hours of each other in Suffolk and Essex.Masked raiders hit a trio of businesses in the early hours of yesterday morning, targeting cash machines each time.

POLICE were today investigating possible links between three ram-raids that happened within two hours of each other in Suffolk and Essex.

Masked raiders hit a trio of businesses in the early hours of yesterday morning, targeting cash machines each time.

The first took place at 1am when a Mitsubishi jeep was used to tear through the front of a Co-op store in Dedham.

The attackers made repeated unsuccessful attempts to dislodge a cash machine, causing £10,000 of damage.

The Q8 garage at Weeley, near Colchester, was the next to be hit, at 2.30am. This time a stolen gold Ford Escort was used to batter through the front entrance and the offenders escaped with a cash machine containing £6,000.

Then, at 3am, Claydon's Co-op store, in Norwich Road, was repeatedly pounded by a green Isuzu Trooper car stolen from Old Ipswich Road in the village.

Despite causing £9,000 of damage, the offenders escaped empty handed.

Neighbours reported hearing "loud bangs" and seeing a balaclava-clad man guarding the shop entrance with what was believed to be a baseball bat.

Detectives were today examining closed circuit television footage of each incident in a bid to identify the culprits.

A Suffolk police spokesman said: "We're liasing with Essex police and are investigating the likelihood that these offences are linked."

He added officers are still trying to track down a K-registered red Rover Vitesse used to flee the Claydon raid.

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