Police are investigating a ram raid at a hotel in Casino last night.

About 10.20pm (Sunday 19 June), a number of offenders in at least two vehicles drove up to the closed bottle shop section of the hotel on Centre Street.

One of the vehicles, thought to be a blue Subaru utility or similar, then reversed several times into a metal roller door.

The door buckled allowing the thieves access to the bottle shop. They removed an unknown quantity of bottled spirits.

The hotel manager confronted the thieves as they were leaving the scene and contacted triple zero. The offenders were all wearing balaclavas.

A short time later police spotted a Hyundai Sonata, which was possibly involved in the incident, travelling along the Bruxner Highway at Piora.

Police pursued the car before the driver and only occupant slowed down, got out of the car and ran into bushland.

The area was immediately searched but he was not found. The Hyundai was seized for forensic examination.

Police will examine CCTV taken from the hotel later today in a bid to identify those involved.