RAMRAIDERS were pursued by police in a high- speed chase early today after a raid on Marks and Spencer in Chatham High Street. The raiders made off with more than a £1,000 of ladies wear after driving a stolen Vauxhall Belmont through the store's front doors.

But police, alerted to the break-in by the store's burglar alarms, were able to intercept the car, chasing it along Commercial Road in Strood. When the raiders abandoned the car and its stolen contents another police patrol car gave chase. Four men were later arrested.

Peter Bradley, Marks and Spencer facilities manager for the Bluewater region, was at the shop this morning. He said that it was too early to say how much the repairs would cost the store.

He said: "It's excellent news that our goods have been recovered. We will be reviewing our security at the store although the fact that the people were caught and are in police custody as a result of our current security system means that it is pretty good."

Medway police confirmed that four men were arrested at 3am on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle and burglary.