DETECTIVES investigating a ram-raid at a pound shop believe the vehicle used to crash into the premises was stolen from a site nearby that same night.

Burglars targeted the Poundland store, in Bishop Auckland town centre, just before 11pm last Wednesday.

Poundland shop ram-raided with loader in Bishop Auckland

They drove a red front loader through a brick wall at the back of the premises, off Kingsway, which runs parallel to Newgate Street, which the shop fronts.

They did not manage to steal anything during the incident, which left the building with extensive damage and the shop had to be boarded up and was unable to open.

Durham Constabulary said the culprits left the vehicle along with a white transit van at the scene and are thought to have made off in a blue Ford Focus car.

The force has now confirmed that the construction vehicle used to smash a gaping hole in the back wall of the premises was stolen from an industrial estate site just two miles away on the edge of Coundon village.

A police spokeswoman said: “Enquiries are ongoing.

“We believe the loader was stolen from a business on Coundon Industrial Estate overnight from October 16 to October 17.

“We would again urge anyone with any information to call Bishop Auckland CID on 101, quoting incident number 444 of October 16.”