A BLACKBURN shopkeeper has told of his shock after a car was crashed into his shop and a cash machine was stolen.

Shahbaz Malik, 24, has owned the Awan Food Store, in Mill Hill Bridge Street, for three years and had installed a CCTV system at the grocers and off licence.

A man and a woman in their 20s have been charged with offences including burglary and aggravated vehicle taking and were due to appear before Blackburn Magistrates today.

Mr Malik said: "I was really shocked.

"You hear about things like this in movies but not in your own community.

"I couldn't believe it when I saw what had happened.

"The cash machine was quite far from the door in the middle of the shop so it's surprising that whoever did this managed to move it.

"I've no idea how much money was inside because I don't get told that information.

"It could be up to a week before I open again because I have to have a new door fitted. I am really gutted. I have lost business and my regular customers are going to have nowhere nearby to go.

"It's also left me feeling quite scared about being in the shop. I was just lucky I had left before it happened."

Mr Malik said glass in the front door had been replaced after vandals threw a brick through it two weeks ago.

He said: "I put cameras up when I took over here for my own safety and to try to deter people but even that doesn't seem to work."

Police are appealing for witnesses in the hope of tracing two people they believe were involved in the incident, at 12.30am on Saturday.

They also hope to speak to a taxi driver who saw a stolen Citroen Xsara people carrier, which was driven into the front entrance of the corner shop.

Sergeant Paul Ryan, of Blackburn CID, said: "The offenders used a Citroen Xsara people carrier which was stolen from Oldham and was displaying false registration plates.

"They used the vehicle and a chain to drag the cash machine from the shopand bundled it into the car.

The car was found abandoned within a few minutes at the end of St Aidan's Avenue and the cash machine was recovered in a garage nearby.

"It looks like they planned to go back to it and open it with the right tools.

"We believe four people were involved in this offence."