Would-be robbers destroyed the front of a post office and wrecked a £20,000 stolen 4x4 in a bungled ram-raid before getting away with.... nothing!

The crooks left the scene empty-handed after their failed raid on a cash machine which, it is believed, would have netted them just a few thousand pounds.

The trail of destruction was caused after they stole a Jeep Cherokee and reversed it into the front of the Post Office in East Bierley yesterday.

The car - on-the-road price £20,995 - was abandoned at the scene after they failed to get any money out of the ATM.

In the process they got the car stuck in the front of the building and brought down the front wall as they tried to get it free.

They then attached a rope to the machine, mounted inside the building, and tried to haul it out of its housing but it fell over face-first and they couldn't access the cash.

It is believed that, at most, the cash machine would have held just a few thousand pounds - much less than the car they wrecked was worth.

Postmistress Penelope Scott-Rowley lives on the premises on South View with her son and described the shock of discovering the damage, which was caused by the four-wheel-drive vehicle's impact with the front wall and then its attempted removal of the ATM.

She said: "It was as though a bomb had gone off, my shop is in such a state. When the car tried to back out it took the front wall with it."

She and her son Richard Harrison cautiously went downstairs to inspect the damage after calling the police. She said: " To be honest, we were scared going down to meet the police you never know if they're still there.

"We're very, very shaken up about it. I burst into tears when I saw the damage, it was so traumatic."

Mr Harrison is the Post Office manager and says he saw two people running from the scene after he was woken up by the smash.

He said: "It all happened so fast. Originally I thought the noise was boy racers, I never imagined this.

"I looked out and saw a couple of figures in the dark, but couldn't make out any more than that."

"It was really scary for us."

No-one was willing to speculate how much the ATM would have had in it but most cash machines in these kind of locations only have, at most, a few thousand pounds in them.

The ATM was installed just a year ago and the decision was taken to put it inside the building for security reasons.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said the incident occurred at 3.40am yesterday and confirmed that the thieves had fled empty-handed.

He said: "I can confirm two offences were committed these are burglary and taking a vehicle without consent.

"Inquiries are ongoing and anyone who saw what happened or has information should contact DC Steve Swailes at Dewsbury CID on 01924 431086."