Two burglaries of small rural shops in Norfolk early yesterday morning have been linked by police investigating the crimes. Shops at Barnham Broom, west of Norwich, and Hempnall, south of the city, were burgled in the early hours, it is thought by a group of four men.

Two burglaries of small rural shops in Norfolk last week have been linked by police investigating the crimes.

Shops at Barnham Broom and Hempnall were burgled in the early hours, it is thought by a group of four men.

CCTV footage from the shop at Hempnall shows four men carrying out the raid, which saw them make off with a safe containing cash.

This followed the earlier raid at 2.45am at Barnham Broom where it is believed the same people stole an ATM machine by tugging it out with tow rope.

Both raids took the burglars just five minutes each.

Jim Hamshaw, who runs Barnham Broom shop and post office and lives above it with his family, was woken by a crashing sound shortly after 2am.

“We heard an almighty bang,” he said. “We are on a corner on cross roads and thought someone had come around the corner and hit the front of the shop. They broke down the front door and took the cash machine.”

He said it all happened very quickly and by the time he had got down to the shop the burglars had gone.

The second raid was at 4.25pm at a McColl's shop in Hempnall.

Police said four men were seen on CCTV footage in the shop, making a search of before stealing the safe, electricity cards and cigarettes.

A safe was stolen and as the men, wearing gloves and balaclavas, stole the safe it knocked an older one through the shop's floor into the cellar.

They also took a trolley in order to remove the safe from the premises. McColl's head office said it would not comment and that it was in the hands of the police.

If anyone has any information or saw anything suspicious contact DC Bruce Clark on 0845 4564567 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.