A village Co-op damaged by ram-raid burglars is set to reopen tomorrow morning – just 48 hours after being forced to close when the front of the shop was smashed in.

The store on the Isle of Grain has been closed since it was targeted by thieves at about 3am on Monday.

The company says repairs to the glass and doors are progressing well today and the store is due to open again as usual at 6am on Wednesday.

Two men from the Medway area aged in their 30s have been arrested and were being questioned by police after a major search operation located the suspects hiding in woodland near the Four Elms roundabout in Chattenden.

Several teams were seen combing the area at about 4am and a BMW X5 patrol car suffered damage to its front bumper and number plate.

The police helicopter and dog units were also deployed after officers attending the scene spotted a suspicious vehicle near the Co-op.

Experts were on site at the store in Grain High Street assessing whether there had been any structural damage caused by the raid.

It was initially feared the shop could be closed for days or weeks with staff facing uncertainty about their working hours.

But a spokesman for the Co-op this afternoon told KentOnline: "We can confirm that the repairs are going well and we’re currently on track to reopen at 6am tomorrow morning."

Police were called at 3.04am after alarms in the store were triggered.

Cigarettes and alcohol were reported stolen from the shelves which led to "a significant amount of damage".

Police spokesman Sally Smith said: "Whilst attending the call a patrol noted a suspicious vehicle and signalled for it to stop.

"Following a pursuit, and assistance from the police helicopter, the patrols began to search a woodland area in Strood.

"A police dog unit and local officers then located two men who were arrested in connection with the incident."

Residents said police had been knocking on doors in the village in the early hours and officers were stationed outside the shop throughout Monday.

Villagers were left in shock and angered by the incident.

Initially, the Co-op said it had hoped to reopen on Monday evening following a clean-up operation throughout the day but this had to be pushed back to allow for further repairs.

The spokesman added: "We urge anyone who may have information on the incident to come forward to the police.”

It is yet to be confirmed if the two men arrested have been charged or released.

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