Botched ram-raid smashes shop ATM as kids sleep in property
Family’s home and business in ruins after early-hours attack
PARENTS and their two young children were asleep in the flat above their village shop when a gang tried to wrench out its cash machine, police have confirmed.
At around 3.45am last Tuesday, a gang of up to five men used a stolen forklift to attack the front of the post office in St Martin’s Drive, Desford.
The cash machine remained in place, but the building is in ruins.
In a statement issued after the event, police said: “The husband and wife, who own the business, were asleep in the flat above the shop, along with their two children, aged four and nine.
“The suspects, believed to be at least five people, were thought to have been disturbed by the family before they could remove the ATM from the wall and made off from the scene in a dark BMW.
“The forklift and a Mitsubishi pickup truck were left at the scene and have since been recovered by police. Both are believed to have been stolen.
“The incident has caused significant damage to the building, which is now being assessed by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council’s building control.”
Detective Sergeant Sarah Walker said: “The actions of these people have singlehandedly destroyed a family’s home and business and we urgently want to find the people responsible.
“There were two small children asleep in the flat above the shop when this incident happened and it is a miracle no one was injured.
“If you saw any of the vehicles or a group of people acting suspiciously in the area in early hours of this morning, please call police with the information you have.
“I would also urge residents or businesses who have CCTV to check for footage that can help us piece together the events of this morning.”
Villagers were in shock over the early-morning raid.
Erdi Cokyasar, owner of Desford Fish Bar, which is two doors down from the shop, said: “I’m devastated for them (the owners). It’s not even been a year since they took over the shop.
“Where they went in was under the bedroom where their girls were sleeping. I can’t imagine how scary it must have been for them.
“We don’t get much trouble in Desford, but it has happened in other local villages, so it’s not really a shock in that sense.
“It was all for the ATM and they didn’t even manage to take it.”
A woman who lives behind the shop said: “It’s terrible. I feel so sorry for them. I heard a bang this morning but I thought we were getting thunder.”
A man who lives round the corner from the shop said: “My wife heard a bang this morning but thought it was a car or something out the front. I only realised when I went round to get my paper this morning about 8am.
“The front of the shop has dropped off. It’s not very good, but those who do it don’t seem to bother. It didn’t matter to them that someone would be in there, that two kids would be sleeping.”
A person who lives close to the scene said: “I heard it about 3.40am. I went straight up there and heard someone screaming.
“It’s a shock. The family above have not been there long and they’re a lovely family.”
■ A crowd-funding page has been set up to raise money for the family to help with repairs and replace lost items.