Supermarket sealed off after cash machine stolen

Thieves have used stolen plant machinery to rip out a cash machine from the wall of a supermarket in Staffordshire.

The Co-op store on Cedar Avenue in Kidsgrove was cordoned off after the attack, which left it badly damaged. Debris from a metal shutter, wood and glass were strewn across the car park.

Staffordshire Police said officers were called to the scene at 03:00 GMT on Friday and they also alerted the local authority to send a structural engineer to the scene due to the extent of the damage.

The Co-op group has called for anyone with information to contact the force.

It is unclear how much cash was taken.

A telehandler - commonly used in construction and agriculture - is thought to have been stolen a short time before the attack and was left at the scene.

Staffordshire Police said two suspects were seen at the store, having travelled to the location in a white van, possibly a Ford Transit or Maxus Deliver, and a silver VW Golf.

One local resident, Sian Hayes, said she found out about what had happened when her partner texted her to say the shop was "all smashed in".

"I think everyone's going to be disappointed that the shop is going to be out of action for a while now," she said.

A spokesperson for Co-op, said: "There was an attack on the community's ATM in the early hours of this morning.

"We apologise for any inconvenience and appeal for anyone who may have seen or heard anything to come forward to the Police."

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