RAM-raiders struck at a cinema in Ipswich today crashing through its glass front doors.

AN Ipswich cinema was targeted in a ram-raid today when a Jeep smashed through its glass front doors in an early morning heist.

However, the male ram-raider fled empty-handed after crashing into the cashpoint at Cineworld in Cardinal Park.

The pre-dawn smash and grab occurred when the blue 4x4 careered through the entrance, drove inside front first and ploughed into an ATM.

The offender, believed to be a male, then reversed out of the cinema and sped off before dumping the stolen vehicle in a car park behind a block of flats in Stone Lodge Lane West, Ipswich.

A police spokesman said: “A blue 4x4 drove into the front of the cinema, smashed the front doors and gained entry to the building.

“The vehicle was driven inside and then left via the entry point at speed.

“While in the cinema, they rammed an ATM.”

Suffolk police said despite the damage, nothing was stolen. They said it is being treated as a burglary of a building with intent.

Witnesses said the vehicle involved was a stolen M Reg blue Jeep Cherokee, which had been taken from Leopold Road, off Colchester Road, Ipswich, sometime after 7.30pm yesterday.

The raid happened at around 4.45am.

Early this morning, the paved plaza in front of Cineworld was cordoned off with a police officer in a car guarding the scene. However the cordon was taken down around 11.15am

Cineworld refused to comment on the raid, but said it would remain open for business as usual.

Police are looking for witnesses and asking anyone who saw the ram-raid or the vehicle in the area to call Ds Tracey Cracknell at Ipswich CID on 01473 613500.

The ram raid follows an armed robbery in Long Melford yesterday where masked robbers burst into a bakery and threatened staff and customers with a shotgun before making off with their purses and money from the till.

Police have today launched a hunt for the three balaclava-clad who struck at The Patisserie in Hall Street, at 7.15pm, also armed with a baseball bat.

One was wearing a black Puffa-style coat with hood, dark tracksuit bottoms and white trainers.

Another was wearing a white Puffa coat with white hood and dark tracksuit bottoms which were tucked into white socks.

The third man was wearing a dark top, dark tracksuit bottoms with white stripes down the side of the leg. He also was wearing trousers tucked into white socks.

Detectives are asking anyone with information or who was in the area at the time to contact Babergh CID on 01473 613500.