The four images show the three raiders with their faces covered in the store.

2.30PM: POLICE are linking a £75,000 raid on a Bourne supermarket to two others in the region.

The Rainbow store in Manning Road was hit last Thursday when three thieves cut into a cash machine.

Lincolnshire Police believe this attack on the store owned by Anglian Regional Co-operative Society may be linked to raids in the Oakham and Desborough Co-op stores.

Thieves targetting the cash machine are believed to have sparked the blaze which destroyed the store in Burley Road, Oakham, but this has not been confirmed by Leicestershire police.

Its officers are working with colleagues from Northamptonshire after a similar attack and blaze at the Desborough store, where cash was stolen.

Officers from all the forces will be meeting in Leicester tomorrow morning to share information.

DCS Jon Shields, who is based at Stamford police station, said: "We believe that this incident is one of a string of similar crimes committed by a gang of highly organised cross border thieves operating in the East Midlands area.

"It was quite audacious in terms of breaking in and taking in industrial cutting gear and spending a considerable amount of time in the property."

Using oxyacetylene cutting gear, the thieves melted off the cash machine's hinges before prizing off the door to get hold of the money, which is believed not to have been security marked.

Officers have launched an appeal for more information and are particularly looking for leads on any suspicious vehicles seen in the area.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Stamford Police Station on 01780 752222.