Watch dramatic footage of Howard Centre ram raid - and the moment crooks were caught after a police chase

Dramatic police footage caught the moment a brazen gang of ram raiders dragged a cash machine from a shopping arcade – and the moment they were caught.

Footage shows them driving off with the ATM dragging behind them, pulling a children's toy car ride along with it, after the raid at Bedford’s Howard Centre.

A police helicopter later trailed the thieves into woodlands where they were caught.

Helicopter footage from the same day as the burglary on Feb 21 shows four men scrambling out of a vehicle after a police car chase.

All four men have since been jailed for a total of over 20 years for a spree of ramraids throughout January and February last year.

In the footage, one man is chased down by police on foot. He gives up and sits down in woodland, lying face down as he's approached by police.

Another is captured and handcuffed by a canal lock.

The men wreaked havoc stealing cash and goods and causing damage to a total of over £100,000 across Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire.

Tony Smith, 23, John Mitchell, 20, Alan Smith, 47, and Samuel Mitchell, 19, all pleaded guilty to their parts in the raids to businesses.

Detective Chief Inspector Chris O’Brien from Cambridgeshire Constabulary described the group as "prolific" and unlikely to stop.

He said: "Ramraids are most likely to take place during the winter months when the nights are darker. We need the public’s help to report anything suspicious, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem.

"One call could make all the difference and potentially stop a store or petrol station being targeted.”