THIEVES who stole a car left a trail of destruction during three raids, two of them in the Prestwich and Whitefield area.

The men, who stole the white Ford Fiesta from Lever Street in Radcliffe, were spotted in the vehicle on Sunday (Nov 12) as they caused more than £5,000 worth of damage ram-raiding shops and making off with a haul of cigarettes worth £80.

In the first incident at Rochdale the Fiesta was driven at speed through the display window of a shop in Milnrow. The thieves, masked, were disturbed by the owner and made off. A total of £3,000 worth of damage was caused to the building.

According to police the badly damaged Fiesta was then seen 30 minutes later when it crashed into the front of the Old Bank Newsagents in Thatch Leach Lane, Whitefield. The alarm went off and the trio fled empty handed.

Shortly after the raiders struck again ramming the Fiesta into the store section of Heywood Road Service Station, Prestwich.

The cashier suffered a cut hand from flying glass and later required hospital treatment after the thieves fled with £80 worth of cigarettes. A total of £2,000 worth of damage was caused to the petrol station shop.

Whitefield police want to hear from anyone who knows the whereabouts of the Ford Fiesta, registered H667 TNP, or has any information about the three masked white males.