A village has been left in shock following an early morning police chase as thieves attempted to make off with a cash machine.
The dramatic incident saw a vehicle smash into two police cars after five people allegedly broke into a Co-op food store.
A police dog and a drone were used to apprehend two people allegedly involved in the burglary at the Co-op in Kessingland, near Lowestoft on Monday at 2.40am.
A shop window had been smashed before a stolen green Land Rover was used to drag the cash machine from inside, leaving a trial of debris strewn across the pavement.
According to police, the Land Rover then became stuck and was abandoned with the cash machine loaded into a blue Volkswagen Golf and driven off in the direction of the beach.
Following a police chase down the dead-end Beach Road, the car turned around and headed straight for the chasing police cars, crashing into them and causing the cash machine to fall out which police then recovered.
The Golf was then driven in the wrong direction down the A12, before those allegedly involved fled from the vehicle, with two later found after searches by the police dog unit and a police drone.
Villagers were shocked by the scene of destruction as they walked past the Co-op with some only having passed by hoping to take out cash.
The shop, on a small business estate, is two doors down from the Kessingland Village Store, where shop worker Harry Pendle, 18, described the incident as “immature”.
He said: “I think it is pretty immature. I see Kessingland as more of a family, everyone knows everyone because it is such a small place and something like this comes along and happens it puts things into perspective.”
Hannah Mackender, 29, grew up in Kessingland and lived there for 25 years before moving to Beccles. Back visiting her mum in Kessingland, the scene of destruction was a “shock.”
She said: “It is a shock. We are such a quiet village, normally very quiet, nothing happens in Kessingland.”
Suffolk Police said two people have been arrested in connection with the incident and taken to Great Yarmouth Police Investigation Centre for questioning.
Anyone with any information or who witnessed any suspicious behaviour should contact Lowestoft CID on 101 quoting reference 51848/18.
