An ATM was stolen from the Nationwide Building Society branch on Knight Street in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, early in the morning on Monday. The theft was carried out by three men who used a stolen telehandler vehicle to smash into the building and remove the unit at around 05:30 BST. A video recorded by a neighbor showed the cash machine being lowered onto a white pick-up truck before the suspects fled. Hertfordshire Police have confirmed that the vehicle used in the attack was left at the scene by the robbers.
The police are requesting witnesses who have any information that could help the investigation to come forward. A spokesperson for Hertfordshire Police said: “Officers investigating the theft of an ATM machine from the Nationwide Building Society on Knight Street, Sawbridgeworth, in the early hours of this morning (Monday 19 April), are appealing for witnesses and information.” They added that CCTV footage from the scene is being reviewed as part of the investigation.
Incidents that involve stealing cash machines are not a new phenomenon in the UK. According to industry data, there were 365 such attacks in 2020, averaging roughly one per day, with a cost of almost £46m ($63m) in repairs and stolen cash. In 2019, there were 552 ATM attacks, which resulted in losses of approximately £46.5m ($64m). The majority of these attacks were carried out using heavy vehicles such as JCBs, telehandlers, or forklift trucks.
The use of telehandlers and forklifts in ATM robberies has forced UK banks to adopt preventive measures to secure their cash machines. Most banks have been removing cash machines from shop fronts to prevent such attacks, while others have installed security systems that tag the cash with indelible paint or disperse dye over the stolen loot to make it unusable and easier for police to trace
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