POLICE are appealing for sightings of a suspicious silver car with "considerable damage" following the second ram raid in just three days in the Farnham area, at Rowledge village shop on Wednesday.

The Co-op in Recreation Road, Rowledge was targeted for the third time in just over two years in the early hours of Valentine's Day - but the bungling thieves again escaped empty handed.

Police received reports of people attempting to break into the Co-Op in Rowledge at around 4.40am, and it is thought the thieves were frightened off by residents coming to see what the noise was about, before having a chance to steal anything.

A silver car is believed to have been used to ram the building, causing significant damage to a side wall.

Waverley Borough Acting Sergeant Aaron Arnold-Phillips said: "Based on the calls we received from witnesses and the damage caused to the building, this was an attempt to break in and steal the cash point machine in the store.

"It was early in the morning and in a rural area, so we are keen to talk to anyone who may have seen a suspicious silver car with considerable damage driving in and around Rowledge."

The police investigation is ongoing and anyone who saw anything suspicious at the times mentioned, is asked to contact the police on 101 with the reference PR/45180016568.

The village shop remained closed on Thursday, with a spokesman for parent company the Southern Co-op promising to “reopen as soon as possible”.

But Rowledge resident Mark Westcott told the Herald: “Judging by the extent of the damage, it may be some time. I’d guess at anything between three days and a week.”

Mr Westcott, an architect by trade, added: “It seems to me that a structural engineer will be needed to check the damage as the wall that was breached probably supported some internal beams.

“So that until a structural check is carried out, it’s unlikely that the repair works can start and anything done today is therefore likely to be only temporary measures, such as Acrow props and sterling board.”

The manager of the shop said it’s the third time the Rowledge store has been targeted, following attempts in January 2016 when a vehicle failed to smash through the front door, and again in February last year.

Just days before Wednesday’s incident, on Monday, February 12, the Bucks Horn Oak service station was also smashed into using a JCB stolen from Garden Style Nursery.

Police confirmed an attempt was made to steal an ATM from the forecourt of the Gulf garage, located on the A325 Bordon Road opposite Alice Holt Forest, using a ‘telehandler’ JCB at 2.25am Monday morning.

A police spokesman said: "Extensive damage was caused to the front of the shop and the ATM, but it appears nothing was stolen.”

Officers initially said the JCB had been stolen from nearby Forest Lodge Garden Centre “shortly before” the ram-raid - but the Herald understands it was actually taken from Garden Style Nursery further along the A325.

The Herald approached Garden Style for a comment, which declined, but did confirm it has not yet received the digger back as it “remains with forensics”.

It is not the first time the Bucks Horn Oak service station has been targeted by criminals either, as six months ago there was yet another botched ram-raid at the Gulf garage. It happened on the same night as a failed break-in at Liphook post office last August.

In what is fast becoming a common offence in the rural area south of Farnham, more recently a tractor was stolen from a riding stables in Churt in the early hours of Sunday, January 28 and used in a ram-raid on an ATM three miles away in Lindford.

Cash machines at another Co-op supermarket in Wrecclesham, as well as Waitrose in Farnham, have also been targeted by ram-raiders in recent years.

Anyone with information about any of the above offences should contact the police on 101.