A telehandler stolen from Tutbury was used to steal a cash machine from a supermarket in Hatton, with one thief throwing a metal bar at police.
Officers from Derbyshire police were called to Nisa, in Station Road, at 2.30am today, Thursday, August 3, by residents who saw a vehicle, which had a telescopic arm, dragging a cash machine from the wall.
The thieves put the machine in a trailer being pulled by a 4x4 before driving off, accompanied by a car.
The force said that officers were sent to the scene immediately and one thief threw a metal bar at officers before the vehicles drove off.
Officers began searching for the gang, alerting neighbouring forces to the theft, but the 4x4 was not found. Staffordshire Police did see the car in Alrewas but it drove off.
The telescopic handler, which had been stolen from Tutbury, was left at the scene and it is believed that four men were involved in the crime.
Witnesses or anyone with information or CCTV footage is asked to call Derbyshire police on 101 quoting reference 17000330482 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
It comes only a day after a stolen JCB 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.
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 telehandler caused extensive damage to the bank. Thieves are captured on CCTV footage pulling up outside the bank - one in the heavy plant vehicle and another in a large truck.
The telescopic handler is then rammed into the front of the bank at high speed four times destroying the front of the building.
