Two separate large-scale night time smash and grab raids occured in the past week, with both incidents seeing cash machines ripped from storefronts using construction vehicles in Warwickshire and Bedfordshire villages.
Police were called to Fenny Compton High Street’s Co-op on 3 November, after a telehandler was used by thieves to rip out the cash machine formerly housed in the front of the store.
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Astonishingly, this wasn’t the first time the store had seen its ATM stolen, as thieves had previously used a digger to steal a cashpoint from it in June of 2019.
There have also been other raids at Co-op supermarkets in Warwickshire recently. On 1͏6͏ ͏O͏c͏t͏o͏b͏e͏r͏ this year, a telehandler was also driven into a shop on the High Street in Shipston-on-Stour at 2am, with an ATM machine removed.
Deeply saddened
In response, a statement from the Heart of England Co-op read: “We are deeply saddened by the incident at our Fenny Compton store.
“Our thoughts are very much with our store manager Debbie Pugh and her team, who have shown incredible resilience during an extremely distressing experience. We want to thank them for their courage and send them our full support during this difficult time.”
Local community
The Heart of England Co-op statement continued: “We extend our thoughts and sympathies to our neighbours and everyone in the local community affected by this incident.
“The store will remain temporarily closed while essential repairs are carried out. We look forward to welcoming everyone back as soon as we can. Thank you to the community for your understanding and support.”
Speaking shortly after the incident, Co-op store manager Debbie Pugh told the BBC it was “heart-breaking” for her and the store’s staff.
Swift comment
Stratford Police swiftly took to social media to report and comment on the raid. It said: “We’re conducting additional patrols and have launched a full investigation following the theft of an ATM in Fenny Compton.
“We received a report that a telehandler was used to remove the ATM machine from a shop on High Street in Fenny Compton. The suspects set the telehandler on fire and made off with the stolen ATM.
“We’re aware of the serious impact this will have on the village, and how unsettling events like these can be.
“If there’s anything you can tell us to assist with our investigation, particularly if you have CCTV or doorbell camera footage, contact us citing Incident 26 of 4 November through our web reporting tool or through 101.”
Village ram raid
In the same week, Bedfordshire Police found an abandoned ATM on an M1 slip road after they were alerted to reports of a ram raid at a village shop.
The Premier store on the High Street in Toddington was raided with a digger at roughly 5am on the morning of Wednesday 4 November, with the thieves making off with its cashpoint.
Three men reportedly put the ATM into a white van before fleeing the scene in the vehicle. Both the van and the machine were later found abandoned on the motorway slip road, with the men escaping in a separate car. The digger was also abandoned at the shop.
Police from Bedfordshire Police also appealed for any information on the raid, with anyone with information or footage asked to get in touch.
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