Police have not confirmed whether a ram raid on a Cambridgeshire Co-op store earlier today is connected with a heavy police presence in the Coveney, Wentworth, Earith and Sutton areas.

St Ives Co-op was targeted at just after 3am and stole a cash machine before leaving in a grey Audi S3 Quattro and a blue Mazda B2500 Escape.

“Officers followed the vehicles but were unable to trace them,” said Det Sgt Dan Cooper.

“This was clearly a planned incident, with those responsible showing little regard for the safety of the public.

“I would urge anyone with information about the incident or those responsible to contact us.”

Anyone with information is asked to call on 101 quoting 35/33126/18 or report online at cambs.police.uk/report.

Residents in east Cambridgeshire reported a helicopter and police officers in fields heading out of Sutton towards Earith.

One man posted that “my wife was stopped by the police while driving through Grunty Fen this morning and told to keep the car doors locked, and if she saw anyone running through the fields to call 999 immediately”.

A woman posted to social media that she too “was stopped on Grunty Fen at 7.30 and asked if I’d seen any men running across fields and if I did to call 999.

“They were in an unmarked police car just outside Wentworth.”