ANOTHER cash machine has been raided in Gloucestershire, with a gang pulling it clean out of the floor and stealing it.

The raid in Cirencester follows five other incidents in the county, including in Huntley and Lydney, and another just over the border in Monmouth.

The latest raid just after midnight today (Monday, December 18) saw burglars use a 4x4 vehicle to smash a window at Abbey Way Services before attaching chains to the stand alone cash machine to drag it from its base. They then put it in the vehicle and drove away.

Investigating officers are currently reviewing CCTV footage from the garage.

Det Sgt Darren Jones said: "This is the sixth incident of this kind in Gloucestershire in the past six weeks and we are looking at similarities between them to see if they are connected.

"We are also working with our colleagues in bordering forces who had similar offences, sharing information to try to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.

"We are not aware of anyone being physically injured during the offences, thankfully, but any crime can cause emotional harm and fear in the community.

"We would like to reassure Gloucestershire residents that we are doing all that we can to protect them and prevent these offences re-occurring."

A gang cut open the shutter doors at Monmouth’s new Co-op store around 4am on November 8, smashed the glass entrance and broke open the back of a cashpoint before stealing the cash.

Two nights later, a cash machine was blown open early on October 10 outside the General Garage petrol station and store in Huntley, less than an hour after an attempted raid on the Co-op cashpoint in Lydney.

Other raids have been reported in Nailsworth, Stonehouse and Moreton-in-Marsh.

Anyone with information about the latest incident is asked to call Gloucestershire Constabulary on 101 or email [email protected] quoting incident 5 of 18/12.