Everyone is being urged to be ultra vigilant around ATMs after a suspicious incident in St Albans and a ram raid in Hemel Hempstead.

At about 12.30am on Monday, June 24, two men were caught wearing balaclavas and gloves outside Co-op on Cell Barnes Lane, St Albans.

They were moving wheelie bins from the side of the supermarket to its shopfront and the next day, the waste containers were found pushed up against the shop's shutters.

Although Herts police officers were worried about an ATM on Co-op's facade, there was no damage and nothing was taken.

However, there was an incident in Hemel Hempstead shortly afterwards - criminals rammed a One Stop shop in Three Cherry Trees Lane with a car at about 1.50am.

The blue Audi S5 left the scene by driving towards the M1, leaving firefighters and police officers to deal with damage to the shop's electric doors and ATM.

Herts police has said One Stop was burgled, but has not yet confirmed what was taken.

In light of these incidents, officers sent out an OWL neighbourhood watch email urging St Albans residents to be vigilant around cash points.

Anyone who has information about either of these incidents should call 101, quoting crime reference 41/56746/19.