THE owner of a store hit by ram-raiders says they won't drive him out.

Azim Khan, 64, has also been the victim of a hammer attack while serving in his shop.

Police had to jump out of the way as the burglars drove at them at high-speed to escape.

As reported in later edition of yesterday's Adver, the gang smashed their way in to Khan's Convenience Store in Rodbourne Road in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Mr Khan, 64, who was at his home in Liden at the time, said: "If I was in the premises they would have killed me to get away with it.

"They were wearing masks and they are vicious people. People like that would give anything to get away.

"It's made me really sick. After what happened before it's not a very comfortable environment to be in."

Four men in a stolen red Vauxhall Cavalier attacked the stand-alone cash machine by placing a metal chain around it and pulling it out onto the pavement.

Police were on patrol in the area and managed to interrupt the raiders who left empty handed.

They drove off at high speed causing officers to jump out of the way to avoid being hit.

A police spokeswoman said that the officers feared for their safety.

The car then drove into Rodbourne Road and was seen by a member of the public heading into Summers Street.

It was later found abandoned a short distance away in Morrison Street where the men got into a dark coloured car and drove off at high-speed towards Bruce Street bridges.

The red K-reg Vauxhall Cavalier had been stolen from Barnum Court earlier on Thursday.

In November, Mr Khan and his son Waheed, 20, were injured when a hammer-wielding robber launched an attack.

But in spite of everything, Mr Khan, who has been at the shop for more than 20 years, will not let it get to him.

"I'm getting metal shutters for the front doors. We've had to clean up all the glass and things everywhere but it is business as usual.

"It's very frightening, I'm glad I was not there.

"No-one was injured but that doesn't mean they couldn't have been. They should be stopped before someone gets injured.

"They wouldn't hesitate to kill people to get away with it.

"They drove at the police. People like this will use every means to get away."

The raid was the third time that cash machines in Swin-don have been targeted by criminal gangs recently.

It comes after thieves snatched £40,000 from a cash machine inside the Green-meadow Stores, in Thames Avenue on February 9.

And there was a similar raid on Somerfield supermarket, in Hyde Road, in Dec-ember in which thieves got away with £10,000.

Police said it is not yet possible to say whether the incident was linked to the previous ones.

One of the suspects is described as male, about 6ft 4ins tall and of large build.

Anyone with information should contact Swindon CID on 01793 528111 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 1111.