Shocked eye-witnesses were “amazed” at an attempt to smash a truck through a shop window in a daylight raid in Keighley today.

The police helicopter and officers on the ground were scrambled after a man wearing a balaclava smashed a pick-up truck, believed to be a Mitsubishi, into Cash Converters in Cavendish Street.

The raid happened just after 10am when plenty of people were walking along the town centre street.

Ian Billingsley, 41, who works at Cartridge World on the opposite side of the road, said: “I heard a crash and, looking out of the window, there was a grey pick-up reversing backwards on the pavement.

“I saw him try to go in again but the angle must have been wrong, so he reversed again, turned into Hannover Street and shot off.

“At first I thought he was just trying to park on the pavement but then I saw he was wearing a balaclava mask and saw the broken window. He is stupid because he was on his own, so he couldn’t have got out of the truck to get anything. The police were there in two minutes.”

Allan Douglas, of Ingrow, Keighley, saw the aftermath of the incident while walking to work. He said: “I’m amazed someone has actually tried something like this in broad daylight. A lot of people walk down that pavement in the day so it’s lucky no one was hurt.”

The window of Cash Converters was smashed and wrenched out of its frame in the attempted robbery. Police were yesterday guarding the crime scene and put up a cordon around the shop as officers interviewed staff.

Cash Converters assistant manager Natasha Bowen said that none of the jewellery behind the window had been stolen. She heard the sound of the crash while she was in another part of the store.

A spokesman for Airedale and North Bradford Police said: “We were called at 10.01am to reports of a ram raid at commercial premises on Cavendish Street, Keighley.”

Anyone with information should contact Airedale and North Bradford CID on the non-emergency number 101 or crimestoppers on 0800 555111.