Police hunt ramraiders after strikes

A string of ramraids across the Black Country are being linked by police.

Two men are wanted by officers after they stormed into a Stourbridge shop with a silver Mitsubishi 4x4 vehicle at 3.40am yesterday.

Police were called to a Spar store in Grange Road after raiders were seen driving off with a Link cash machine.

West Midlands Police spokesman Brigg Ford confirmed the latest robbery is being linked to another two raids in Halesowen and Quarry Bank last week.

"It is believed to be the same vehicle that is being used, it was reversed into the Spar store so it will have fairly extensive rear-end damage," said Mr Ford.

"We have no idea of how much money was in the cash machine," he added.

After fleeing, the raiders rammed into a police patrol car a few miles away in Blackheath, even though they were not being pursued. The officers were uninjured.

The Mitsubishi has a cloned number plate beginning with 52.

One Spar worker, who did not want to be named, said emergency repairs had been made so the shop could re-open. "It was a bit of a shock, we're all a bit angry about it," he said.

Last Friday, the Mitsubishi was used to break open the doors of the Lutley Oak pub in Halesowen, at 1.45am. Raiders tried to steal cash from games machines but they had already been emptied.

Later, at 4.35am, the car was driven into the Nisa supermarket in Quarry Bank. The raiders failed to steal a cash machine.