A scene of destruction has been left outside a County Durham Co-op after an apparent ram raid.
A cash machine was ripped out of the shop on Durham Road, Bowburn, during the raid on Tuesday night.
The company confirmed that the store was closed on Wednesday while they assessed the damage.
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The scene of devastation saw bricks and other debris strewn across the car park as part of the wall had been completely ripped out.
A police cordon had been put up to keep pedestrians safe.
A spokesman for the Co-op said: "We can confirm there was an incident at our Bowburn store on Durham Road on the evening of Tuesday 21 December.
"The police are investigating and we would urge anyone with any information to come forward.
"The store is currently closed while we assess the damage caused and we will reopen as soon as possible to continue to serve our customers and the local community."
Durham Constabulary have now confirmed that an appeal for witnesses has now been launched.
A spokesperson stated: "Police are appealing for witnesses to an aggravated burglary in the Bowburn area.
"We received several reports of a vehicle ramming the Co-Op store on Durham Road at around 11.20pm yesterday (Tuesday, December 21)."
The force has also issued a detailed description of the vehicles that are believed to have been involved in the incident.
"A maroon-coloured Mitsubishi Shogun is believed to have been used to ram a cashpoint at the side of the store, after which between four and six men carrying crowbars and baseball bats have exited the vehicle and interfered with the cash machine.
"The suspects are then believed to have been disturbed and fled from the scene via Crow Trees Lane in a light-coloured van."
Anybody who witnessed the incident, or who has information relating to it or the vehicles involved, is asked to contact D/Sgt Ord on 101 extension 202326 quoting incident number 489 of December 21.
