This was the scene after thieves smashed a stolen 4x4 vehicle through the front of a village shop to get its cash machine.

The gang did not get any money as the cash machine is emptied every night, but almost �10,000 of damage was caused to Budgens in Brundall late on Friday.

The store was ram raided at around 11.30pm, and store owner Jinx Hundal was at home asleep when his assistant manager called with the bad news.

He was on site by midnight and described what he saw as 'absolute devastation'.

'It was like a bomb had gone off,' said Mr Hundal. 'All our shutters and doors were completely mangled and products were strewn everywhere.

'We pulled a team including myself and my wife together and once police gave us the all clear - after forensics - we had five hours to get it sorted as we open at 7am.

'We worked through the night and had to hacksaw the metal that was twisted and inter-linked.'

He said three bollards outside the store were wrenched from the ground by a 4x4 before the vehicle rammed the shop front four times - police say the vehicle was a Daihatsu Fourtrak.

The shop's cash machine was loaded on to a second 4x4 vehicle - believed to be a green Ford Maverick - before making off.

Mr Hundal, of J&P Retail Group, puts the repair bill at almost �10,000 once damage to bollards, shutters, the door mechanism, shop floor and freezer - which is beside the door - is accounted for.

But he says it is business as usual, and hopes sharing footage from the store's 32 camera CCTV network with police will help them catch the thieves.

'I won't let the thieves get the better of me,' he said. 'We were determined to have service as usual.

'We've got a very loyal customer base at Brundall so our main task is to provide the service that we always do.

'It's at times like this you realise how supportive local residents are and I'm very grateful to them.

'We've had lots of locals coming in offering us help.'

He estimates there were between four and six people in the ram raid gang.

The store, in The Street, is open as usual with a temporary door, alarms are operational and an outside security firm is standing guard overnight.

Ram raiders targeted the store seven years ago in a similar crime - the cash machine was empty then too.

Call DC Mark Randall at Great Yarmouth CID on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously with information on 0800 555 111.