Thieves use digger to steal ATM machine

Thieves used a mechanical digger to rip the ATM from the outside wall of a bank today – the 13th cash machine to be stolen in the North in the past year.

The thieves drove the digger into the Square area of Crossmaglen, Co Armagh early today on the back of a trailer pulled by a tractor.

All three were set on fire after the robbery at about 5.50am.

The gang made off with the cash machine in a flatbed van and small dark coloured car.

The spate of ATM thefts has led operators to offer a £25,000 (€28,261) reward for information about those responsible.

Last month, it was announced that less money was to be stored in machines deemed vulnerable to attacks.

The dispensers targeted have invariably been in quiet rural locations.