Village cash machine blown up by thieves
CASH machine thieves have struck in Leicestershire yet again, this time targeting the Co-op supermarket in Cosby.
Police were called to the store, in Main Street, at 1.12am on Tuesday, after crooks broke into the supermarket and then used gas canisters to force open the cash machine.
The thieves made off with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Windows nearby appear to have been damaged by the blast.
The entry road to the car park was sealed off with blue police tape.
People described “loud”.
A spokesperson for Leicestershire Police said “extensive damage” was caused to the rear of the cash machine during the incident.
They added: “The Co-op is cordoned off while officers carry out a full forensic examination of the scene.”
A spokesperson for the Co-op has apologised to residents affected by the closure.
It added that CCTV from the store had been given to investi- who the live nearby explosion as gators.
The spokesperson said: “An incident occurred at our Main Street, Cosby, store just after 1am in the early hours of this morning.
“CCTV has been shared with police who are investigating the attack on the store’s ATM.
“The Co-op takes retail crime very seriously and implements a range of measures to both deter criminal activity and to aid convictions.”
The spokesperson confirmed there were no members of staff in the store when the raid took place.
The incident is the latest in a string of cash machine raids across Leicester. The raids have involved stolen diggers being used to rip cash machines from the front of buildings, and raiders using gas to blow up cash machines.
Thieves crashed into a supermarket earlier this month in a failed attempt to steal a cash machine.
The Aldi store, in Dents Road, Ashby was targeted in the early hours of November 3 - approximately 24 hours after a similar raid on the firm’s store in neighbouring Coalville .
On October 28, Lutterworth Post Office was targeted by thieves who pumped gas into the cash machine there, blowing it up.
And recently the Co-operative store in Stoney Stanton was also targeted.
Investigators are urging anyone with information about the Cosby incident to contact police immediately on 101.
Alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously and for free on 0800 555111.