A MAFOR store in Ashford is counting the cost of a dramatic botched ram raid that forced them to close their doors on Tuesday.

The raiders smashed a pick-up truck into the main doors of the Matalan store in Brookfield Road, Ashford, in the early hours of the morning but fled when the stolen Mitsubishi burst into flames.

The blazing truck rolled back into the car park and the raiders escaped in a 4x4 vehicle.

The damage to the store is being put at more than £10,000 and manager Kim Matthews said the lost day’s trading is a big blow in the run-up to Christmas. “This has cost us thousands of pounds in lost trade." The store was open again for business on Wednesday.

Police said a passing motorist alerted a patrol car as the raid was taking place.

But by the time the squad car arrived at the store, the ram raiders had fled.

The truck smashed through the exterior glass entrance doors, narrowly squeezing between anti-ramraid posts, and into the metal security shutters.

The thieves did not get into the store and forensic officers examined the pick-up at the scene before towing it away for further tests.

Staff arrived for work and were greeted by a scene of carnage. Most of them spent the day on other duties in the store.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Det Con Chris Benson at Ashford CID on 01233 896203.