TWO Tesco Express shops in Newport were targeted by ram raiders in the early hours of this morning, but nothing was stolen from either of them.

CCTV footage from the store in Rogerstone, shows a small white car reversing into the front window three times, until on the third time it smashed.

The passenger then left the car and went into the store to the tills. But the smoke activated from the alarm, forced him to go back to the car which drove off empty-handed.

Aaron Suller, is a team leader at the Rogerstone store and received a call from his deputy manager at 3 o’clock this morning to inform him the alarms were going off at the small supermarket. As the closest key holder to the store, he drove to the store where he found the front window completely smashed and police in the forecourt.

The 21-year-old said: “I alarmed the store and then came inside. I checked the tills and checked around but couldn’t see anything so I came out to check the CCTV.”

Remarkably, nothing was stolen from the shop, which Mr Suller put down to the smoke.

He said: “You can’t see anything through that smoke.”

The CCTV shows the pair sitting in the car in the carpark in front of the store for 15-20 minutes before they decide to ram the entrance.

This morning, the store remained closed while police and staff cleared the area.

Only fifteen minutes after the first attack, a small white car with two passengers ram raided another Tesco Express on Malpas Road.

After reversing into the front entrance, two men got out of the car and kicked their way into the store. They attempted to remove the tills, but had no luck and with the smoke activated, left the store.

The alarms were activated at 3.15am. Janine Watkins, store manager, said: “They weren’t here two minutes.

“Nothing’s been taken at all.”

The store was open as usual this morning, while police inspected the smashed door for fingerprints.

All CCTV footage has been passed onto the police.