Gangs of ram-raiders are targeting shops across Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire with more than 40 attacks in the last 18 months, shock figures reveal.

Raiders are smashing their way into shop premises in attempts to steal cash machines, prompting a warning from police to shopkeepers to step up vigilance.

There has been a raid at Aldi in Hilton

The Burton Mail previously revealed that Derbyshire Police had been called to eight ram raids in the last 12 months, while Leicestershire Police were called to 19 cash raids in the last 18 months.

Now Staffordshire Police has revealed officers were called to a total of 14 raids in the last 23 months.

They were called to four ATM raids in 2016 and 10 raids so far in 2017, with many of the attacks remaining unsolved.

Some of the high profile cases in East Staffordshire include a raid at the Spar Shop, in Rosliston Road, Stapenhill, on October 2, where thieves used a telescopic handler to rip the ATM machine from the wall.

Ram raid on the Spar Shop on Rosliston Road in Stapenhill, where a Telescopic Handler.
Ram raid on the Spar Shop on Rosliston Road in Stapenhill

The Co-op, in Kings Bromley, was also targeted on August 2. A masked gang used a digger to smash their way through the side of the store in an apparent attempt to steal the ATM machine from inside.

The attempt failed and they left empty-handed, leaving the cash machine dangling from the arm of the JCB digger by a cable.

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In South Derbyshire the Nisa store, in Hatton was attacked, and shocking CCTV footage showed a gang using a digger to smash their way into the shop before dragging the cash machine from the wall and loading it into a trailer.

Officers were sent to the scene immediately and confronted the gang, with one thug throwing a metal bar at officers before they sped off in the vehicles. The raid happened on Thursday, August 3.

North West Leicestershire has also seen a spate of high-profile ram raids on shops in Ashby. On July 10 shoppers and retailers woke up to scenes of devastation at the Nationwide Building Society when a digger was used to smash into the building and steal the cash machine.

Ram-raid on the cash point at the Nisa Store on Station Road, Hatton, using a telescopic handler.

More recently in Ashby, the Aldi supermarket was targeted on November 3. A video captured the scene after the incident had taken place, and showed debris, including the key pad from the cash machine, on the ground. The thieves escaped empty-handed.

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Officers are offering advice to businesses with ATMs on how they can reduce the risk of being targeted.

A document created by the UK insurers group RISC Authority and published by the Fire Protection Association has been developing best practice for the protection of people, property, business and the environment from loss due to fire and other risks, such as ram raids.

It suggests several counter-measures to protect shops. One approach is to physically strengthen the shell of the building.

However, in most cases owners opt for an external solution such as installing bollards, either retractable, fixed or moveable, or natural barriers such as mounds, embankments, ditches and/or permanent stone/concrete structures.