Bungling ATM ram raiders wreck village Co-op but flee empty-handed

The JCB, stolen from a building site in the grounds of nearby Horbling Hall, was used to ram the front of the Co-op at about 4am, say police.

A force spokesman said the raiders were targeting the cash machine fitted in the shop: “The ATM cassette was then removed. Offenders placed the cassette into a car but it fell from the vehicle as they fled the scene, leaving it behind.

“If you were in this area at around this time and have dashcam footage, or noticed anyone acting suspiciously prior to the theft, please call us on 101 and quote incident 39 of October 21.”

You can also email [email protected]

Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The High Street was closed to traffic all morning while investigators were on the scene and debris was being cleared and the damage assessed.

A spokesperson for Co-op, said: “There was an incident in the early hours of this morning (Wednesday) at our High Street, Billingborough, store where there was an unsuccessful attack on the community’s ATM. We appeal for anyone who may have seen or heard anything to come forward to police, who are investigating. The store remains closed while we await repairs and the outcome of structural assessments, and we expect to re-open tomorrow (Thursday) to serve the community.”

Neighbour Barry Foston and his wife leapt out of bed when they heard the rumble and crash at about 3.45am. He initially thought it was noisy lorry passing through but got up to look.

He said: “It was a hell of a noise. We saw this tractor thing barging into the Co-op window.”

He could see two men trying to carry the cash box from the ATM out to a small car. “They couldn’t seem to lift it in and it fell onto the road,” he said. “I rang 999 and I think they panicked as my light had come on and others were turning on around, so they left the box in the middle of the road and left.

“They didn’t seem very professional as they had brought such a little car to take a big cash box.”

He said: “It has left such a mess. Some of the flase ceiling has come down. The tractor was left in the road with the engine running until nearly lunchtime, while police did their checks.”

He said the cash box was also left in the road where it had dropped until lunchtime and now things are being cleared away and teh road reopened.

Mr Foston recalled a similar ram raid happened to the village’s Post Office a few years ago and had predicted the Co-op might be raided due to the ATM being close to the front doors. The shop opened in its new location on the High Street almost exactly four years ago.

He hioped it would reopen soon as it is a very busy, well-used store.