STAFF hurled cups at ram raiders during a bungled attempted theft of two ATM cash machines from a Kent supermarket in the early hours of Sunday morning.

A stolen JCB was used to take two cash machines from the wall of the Asda store in Westwood Road, Broadstairs at 3.50am.

A third ATM was left untouched. The JCB had been taken from a construction hire yard in Broadstairs half a mile away.

Asda workers were on a tea break in the canteen above where the cash machines were situated. When they realised what was happening, they hurled cups and saucers at the masked raiders.

The thieves fled in a dark coloured Ford flatbed truck with one ATM in the back. They left the other on the ground.

The lorry broke down and the raiders drove away in a dark coloured four wheel drive vehicle.

Kent Police are appealing to anyone who may have seen the offenders, in particular anyone who saw the yellow JCB being driven to the store or the dark coloured 4x4 vehicle that they drove away in.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Kent Police on 01843 222192 or Kent Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.