A cash machine was stolen by ram raiders following another incident in Essex this morning.

Around 2.10am, a Toyota Rav4 was used to remove the ATM from the front of Honeysuckle Stores at Honeysuckle Way in Witham.

Three people, who had their faces covered and were wearing hoodies, were then seen to get into two other vehicles, believed to be an Audi four-wheel drive and a Mercedes, and left in the direction of Flora Road.

A police helicopter was dispatched to help with the search.

The ram raid is the latest in a series of incidents which have plagued businesses across Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex over the last 18 months.

Two men were jailed at the beginning of the month after pleading guilty to their part in a series of ram raids across the region.

Tony Smith, 19 of Schole Road, Willingham, Cambridgeshire, and Charlie Oakley, 26, of George Street, Shefford, Bedfordshire, were sentenced at Peterborough Crown Court on Wednesday, November 7.

Oakley was handed a six-year prison sentence while Smith was handed a five-year sentence in a youth offenders institution after both pleading guilty to conspiracy to burgle in relation to a number of ram raids across seven counties.

Anyone who has information about the Witham incident and has not yet spoken to officers is asked to call police on 101, quoting incident number 47 of 13/11.

Anyone who lives nearby and has any CCTV available to view, or were driving in the area and may have dash cam footage is also urged to get in touch with officers.

Alternatively, people can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.