POLICE are investigating a spate of cashpoint raids, including one where villagers were woken up by the machine being blown up.
The explosion around 1.30am on Friday (November 10) at the General Garage petrol station and store in Huntley left debris strewn across the forecourt, including burnt money.
A gang cut open the shutter doors, smashed the glass entrance and broke open the back of a cashpoint in the new Co-op store in Monmouth around 4.10am on Wednesday (November 8).
And ram raiders drove a car through the window of Moreton-in-Marsh’s Aldi store around 2am on Saturday (November 11) in an attempted cashpoint heist.
The owners of the Huntley Texaco petrol station and Spar shop on the A40 Ross Road have offered a £2,000 reward leading to the conviction of anyone for the Friday morning raid, which is thought to have netted several thousands of pounds.
Store assistant Ian Diedrich said: “They literally blew the cash machine to pieces, probably with a gas bottle. It was a right mess, with debris hanging over one petrol pump and bits right the way onto the road.
“The next door neighbours said that half of Huntley must have heard the bang, it was that big. I believe they’ve got CCTV showing one man wearing a balaclava on it.
“It’s not the first time a cash machine has been targeted here. Around two years ago there was an attempted raid with an angle grinder, sparks everywhere.”
A statement on Facebook by the store’s Gardner family owners said: “We will personally give a £2000 reward for any information that leads to the successful prosecution of anyone in connection with the raid on our cash machine.
It is not known how long the cashpoint at the garage and Spar store at Huntley will be out of action.
A post on the garage’s Facebook page reads:
“Our cash machine at General Garage may be out of use for a while as someone decided to ‘blow it up’ in the early hours of this morning (Friday).”
Police have asked people to be alert to being offered any banknote that looks burnt or melted, as it could be part of the haul from the blown-up cashpoint.
Officers arrived around 1.50am after being alerted to the raid and found some new plastic notes on the ground shrivelled by the explosion.
Gloucestershire Police believe the incident may well be linked to the attempted theft at the Co-op store in Newerne Street, Lydney, earlier that morning, with a white car being reported at both locations.
Detective Inspector Richard Pegler said: “We know that some of the notes from the stolen cash machine were affected by the explosion and would like to hear from anyone who is given any money which looks as if it has suffered heat damage.
“Fortunately no-one was injured during the incident, but we are keen to identify those responsible and remove the threat of them doing this again.
“This is likely to be the work of a more organised group and may be part of an ongoing series. Please be vigilant and report any similar suspicious activity around cash points, particularly those in remote and rural areas.”
Gwent Police are also hunting four men seen in a white BMW 1 Series car around the time
of Wednesday’s Co-op store raid in Monmouth’s Rockfield Road.
After breaking through the roller shutter and glass doors, the offenders are thought to have used a gas canister and tools to break open the store’s cashpoint before making off with a substantial sum of money.
Gloucestershire Police said of Saturday morning’s Aldi raid in Moreton-in-Marsh: “They drove straight through the large window and attempted to steal the cash machine from the side of the store, but were unsuccessful.”
A force spokeswoman said: “As a matter of course, officers will look for similarities between the incidents and liaise with neighbouring forces to establish whether they may be linked.
“It is believed that the Lydney and Huntley incidents are linked, but it is not yet known whether they are linked to the Moreton-in-Marsh incident or any in other force areas.”
Anyone with information about the Forest raids is asked to call Gloucestershire Constabulary on 101, or email [email protected], quoting incidents 14 (Lydney) or 21 (Huntley) of 10/11.
If you have any information about the Monmouth raid, call 101 quoting log number 16 08/11/17.