Cash machine ram raids in East Midlands linked

Police are linking a series of cash machine ram raids across the East Midlands.

A telehandler vehicle was used to smash a wall at the Sainsbury's Local supermarket in Cotgrave on 7 August.

Police said this attack followed a similar pattern to others throughout the region, with a "distinctive focus" along the Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire border.

There have been seven cash point raids in the area since June.

The warning comes as Leicestershire Police revealed masked men tried to steal a free-standing cash machine on Saturday night from inside Moto Services, Castle Donington, at junction 23A of the M1.

A light-coloured Audi, a white flat-bed or pick-up style truck and a white van were seen at the scene.

Det Sgt Michael Broddell from Nottinghamshire Police urged people to be "vigilant for suspicious activity" after the spate.

"These offences almost always take place in the early hours and involve the use of a telehandler, a pick-up truck to take the cash machine away and then a car as the final getaway vehicle," he said.

"Once stolen, they are taken to secluded barns or similar.

"Even offences as minor as causing lock damage to gates may be an indication that offenders intend to use the location to hide vehicles or as a dumping site after the offence."

He added the raids have been taking place throughout the region, including Staffordshire and Derbyshire, but there was a "distinctive focus" along the Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire border.

Leicestershire Police has had to deal with three cash machine raids in the county.

In June, a digger was used in an attempted theft at a Co-op in Thringstone.

In July, a telescopic handler was used during a raid in Ashby-de-la-Zouch and then, two weeks later, there was another ram raid at a Co-op in Stoney Stanton.

Meanwhile, police in Derbyshire and Staffordshire have investigated and linked two ram raids on convenience stores.

There was one in Kings Bromley, near the Staffordshire/Derbyshire border, on 2 August followed by a robbery in nearby Hatton the next day.