RAM-RAIDERS used a digger to try and steal a cash machine from a Kent building society - but left empty-handed.

Police were called to Station Road, Longfield, near Gravesend, just after 3.10am this morning to find the orange vehicle smashed into the front of the Nationwide Building Society.

A police spokesman said: "The attempt was unsuccessful and the road remains closed at this time. No one was arrested."

A local resident who witnessed the aftermath said: "I went to the building society to get some cash out at 7am, and found this huge digger sticking out of the wall, someone had obviously tried to ram-raid the place.

"The police had the road all cordoned off."