DETECTIVES investigating a robbery at a quiet village shop said they are confident of catching those responsible after discovering their abandoned getaway car.

DETECTIVES investigating a robbery at a quiet village shop said they are confident of catching those responsible after discovering their abandoned getaway car.

Staff at Londis, in Exning, near Newmarket, were left terrified after a gang of armed men stole cash from the till during the raid on October 6.

Despite no arrests being made, police said last night they had a number of leads, and confirmed they were not ruling out the possibility of the crime being linked with other robberies in the region, including one in the nearby village of Wickhambrook last week.

Acting Detective Inspector Jeff Yaxley, from Newmarket CID, said the robbers' red Nissan had been found in Gippingstone Road, Bramford, near Ipswich, the morning after the raid.

The car, a sporty 200 SX model which is thought to be around 16 years old, was stolen from an address in Diss on October 2.

“The vehicle is being examined, but no information has come back as yet,” said Det Insp Yaxley.

“It was discovered on Saturday morning, but we would like to speak to anyone who saw it in the days leading up to the robbery, or late on the evening of October 6.”

Police said three men entered the shop at around 10.15pm, one brandishing an axe and another holding a crowbar.

They threatened a staff member and demanded keys to the safe, but fled after the quick thinking employee jumped over the counter and ran for help.

On Friday evening, anniversary checks were carried out at Londis in a bid to track down any witnesses to the robbery.

As well as stopping passers-by to see if they were in the area of the store at the relevant time on the previous Friday, officers took the registration details of cars with a view to contact their owners at a later date.

“At some point, the men will have taken their hoods off, and we are very keen to speak to anyone who saw them after this time,” said Det Insp Yaxley, who said the checks yielded a “few results”, which were being investigated.

“We might be in a position at some point to release some CCTV footage, but for now we are pleased with the way the investigation is going.”

On October 12, three raiders used a pick-up truck to smash a hole in the wall of Wickhambrook Post Office, before stealing a safe. A short while later, a gang of robbers struck at Assington Farm Shop, near Sudbury, and stole cigarettes.

Det Insp Yaxley added: “We can't say at this time whether the incident is being linked to any other robberies in the area, but it is not being ruled out.”

Any witnesses to the robbery should contact Newmarket CID on 01473 613500 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

lisa.cleverdon@eadt.co.uk