Tractor raid on ATM foiled

A GANG has failed to raid an ATM machine, this time using a stolen tractor.

The raiders had planned to ram the machine at the Bank of Ireland in Green Street, Callan, Co Kilkenny, using the stolen vehicle. But they were disturbed by gardaí on routine patrol in a garda car.

The culprits fled the scene by car, abandoning the stolen tractor at the scene. They escaped empty-handed in the direction of Kilkenny city.

Gardaí investigating the incident are confident they averted a major crime.

“We got a report at about 2.50am that a number of people were acting suspiciously around the ATM machine at Green Street in Callan,” said a Kilkenny city garda spokesman.

“We had a garda car on routine patrol in the area. As it approached the scene, a number of people jumped into a car and took off at considerable speed with no lights on.

“Because they had no lights on and because of the speed involved, we were not able to get a make or model of the car. An attempt had been made to hotwire a tractor at the scene. That was left abandoned and has been forensically examined,” said the spokesman.

Gardaí investigating the incident can be contacted on (056) 77 22222.

Meanwhile, an investigation is continuing into a similar raid in Rosslare just over a week ago.

In that raid, thieves used a stolen JCB to haul an ATM from the wall of the bank there, escaping with the machine and up to €140,000 in cash.