Gangs with stolen van terrorise the country by raiding shops and supermarkets

Organised gangs are using stolen vans, 4x4s, motorbikes and even heavy construction machinery to smash into shops, supermarkets, banks and jewellers across the UK in brute force ram-raids. Once dismissed as a crude smash-and-grab crime of the 1980s, ram-raiding has evolved into a slick, high-impact tactic favoured by gangs who are often long gone before officers arrive. Police forces nationwide are now battling what insiders describe as a 'relentless' wave of attacks - not confined to inner cities but rural villages too.