CROOKS smashed their way into a Tesco store during a late night ram raid leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

A silver hatchback car was reversed into the doors of the Tesco Express during the raid in Manningtree High Street.

It is believed the would-be thieves were targeting cigarettes but were unable to get to them before alarms sounded and scared them away.

Simon Foster, manager of the store, said: “We are all shocked – you don’t expect that sort of thing in a sleepy little place like this.

“We’ve never had anything like it before.

“They reversed a car into the front of the shop and got in, but the alarms went off after 30 seconds and scared them off.

“We lost about a day and a half of trade.

“We couldn’t open up as the shop was so badly damaged.

“The shop front is bespoke and will need to be replaced.

“The total cost of lost sales and repairs to us is about £30,000.”

An Essex Police spokesman said officers were called to the burglary in High Street at around 1.10am last Wednesday.

He said: “An attempt was made to gain access to a cigarette cabinet.

“It is not believed anything was taken.

“It is believed a vehicle was used to gain access to the property.”

Mark Morsley, Manningtree mayor, said the burglary was unusual for the quiet market town.

He said: “I understand the doors were rammed and the security measures worked a treat.

“I don’t think this is a worry for other businesses - it was a ram raid and there aren’t many stores big enough to do that to.

“We don’t get many ram raids in Manningtree.”

Police said the break-in could be linked with others at service stations in Hadleigh, Isleham, Roydon and Capel St Mary.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Essex Police on 101.