RAM raiders reversed a car through the front door of a petrol station to try and rob a cash machine.

They managed get inside but they found that the cash point in the Texaco Service Station, Tottenham Road, off Sandy Lane, Lower Darwen, was empty.

As a security measure, the ATM is emptied every night.

Police believe the gang of four may have been staking out the garage for up to an 90 minutes on Saturday as they waited for the moment to strike.

They eventually drove a white, three-door hatchback into the door at 9.50pm, when the garage was closed.

The four raiders then had to quickly open up the cash machine before police arrived, as the security alarm had been set off.

The white car, which would have been badly damaged, was seen heading down Sandy Lane towards Bolton Road after the unsuccessful raid.

Police have appealed for witnesses, or anyone with information to come forward.

Detectives were today reviewing CCTV footage from the garage.

There have been a number of raids on cash machines in East Lancashire in recent months, including the theft in November of tens of thousands of pounds from an ATM at the One Stop Shop, Colne Road, Burnley.

Police today said they could not rule out links with Saturday's incident.

The Raiders were described as white and wearing dark clothes.