The store manager, who lives above his shop, has described the damage the burglars are said to have caused when they broke down the door of his shop in Devon.

James Casinelli, 25, lives above the Central Convenience Store in Cheriton Cross, which police say was targeted by burglars in the early hours of Friday morning.

Devon and Cornwall Police said it was one of “at least two” ramming attacks that had taken place in Devon in the last week.

It said that “vehicles were stolen” before being used to forcibly enter shops in the village.

Mr Casinelli said the incident was part of a “series of burglaries”, according to police, and a pane of glass had been “smashed” and needed to be replaced.

He said several e-cigarettes were also stolen.

Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed they were called to the incident at Cheriton Bishop Post Office at around 3.40am (CEST) on Friday.

A car that was presumably “stolen from a nearby address” has “now been recovered,” it said.

Police said this followed a raid on a Spar post office in Bampton in the early hours of Thursday morning.

At around 03:45 BST, officers were called to the post office on Castle Street after “a door was broken into and cash and e-cigarettes were stolen”.

Inspector Grant Leitch said: “In a recent spate of burglaries, vehicles were stolen from residential properties.

“These vehicles were then used for further crimes.

“Post offices were the focus of this crime, with the fronts of these buildings being attacked using the stolen vehicle to gain entry.

“The vehicles are then left behind and another burglary allows the perpetrators to access other means of transport and commit further crimes.

“We ask both home and business owners to remain vigilant by ensuring their properties are secured, vehicle keys are not visible and that their vehicles are parked and stored safely.

“The main problem area is in and around Mid Devon, but of course perpetrators can and will shift the geographical region they target.”

The investigations in both cases are still ongoing, it said. Anyone with information or recordings of a doorbell is asked to come forward.