A digger was used to pull a cash machine off the wall of a South Derbyshire supermarket in the latest in a series of ram-raids.
Derbyshire police received a call to the Nisa, in Station Road, Hatton, at 2.30am today, Thursday, August 3, from residents living near the store who reported seeing the digger being used to pull a cash-point from the wall of the store.
The thieves were then seen to put the ATM in a waiting trailer being pulled by a vehicle. The gang then drove off. The Nisa store is open as normal this morning.
It comes only a day after a stolen JCB digger was abandoned after being used to pull a cash machine off a wall at the Co-op in Kings Bromley. Here a masked gang was disturbed by officers from Staffordshire Police at 3.10am yesterday, Wednesday, August 2, attempting to remove the machine.
The gang of raiders fled the scene in vehicles which were waiting nearby. They caused extensive damage and the store was closed yesterday.
There was also a similar raid in Ashby at the Nationwide Building Society at 3.09am on Monday, July 10, in Market Street.
Here a digger caused extensive damage to the bank. Thieves are captured in CCTV footage pulling up outside the bank - one in the digger and another in a large truck. The digger is then rammed into the front of the bank at high speed FOUR times destroying the front of the building.
In Kings Bromley, significant damage was caused to the Co-op building, with structural engineers and the Highways Agency called out to review the damage and carry out safety assessments, said a police spokesman.
It is believed that the digger was stolen from a farm in Netherseal in Derbyshire. Police are now appealing to anyone who may have seen anything suspicious to get in touch with the team.
DS Michelle Banks, of Staffordshire Police, said: "This is a serious crime resulting in substantial criminal damage to a property. Fortunately, the perpetrators were unsuccessful with their intended goal as the cash machine remains in situ and no money was stolen.
"Our officers remain at the scene and an investigation is on-going. If you witnessed these events or have any information that could assist us with our inquires, then please call us on 101 quoting incident number 60 of August 2."
It is not known if the incidents are linked.
