Northern Ireland

Derry petrol station puts concrete blocks around ATM after recent digger thefts

Concrete blocks have been placed around an ATM at a Centra filling station near Maghera. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin 
Concrete blocks have been placed around an ATM at a Centra filling station near Maghera. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin  Concrete blocks have been placed around an ATM at a Centra filling station near Maghera. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin 

A filling station in Co Derry has put large concrete blocks around its ATM after a recent spate of 'smash and grab' raids on cash machines.

The Centra store on the Glenshane Pass near Maghera took steps to protect the ATM after another filling station in Dungiven had its cash machine ripped from a wall at the weekend - the eighth such theft this year alone.

O'Kane's petrol station on Feeny Road in the Co Derry town was targeted at about 4.15am on Sunday.

Thieves stole a digger from a building site and used it to tear the ATM from the side of the filling station, causing substantial damage.

Concrete blocks have been placed around an ATM at a Centra filling station near Maghera. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin 
Concrete blocks have been placed around an ATM at a Centra filling station near Maghera. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin  Concrete blocks have been placed around an ATM at a Centra filling station near Maghera. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin 

Read More: Timeline of cash machine thefts

With some rural cash machines holding up to £120,000, police believe that more than one gang may now be operating with members staking out targets to monitor times when they are stocked with cash.

Last week, there were two separate incidents of cash machine thefts - one outside a shop in Co Antrim and the the wall of a bank in Co Monaghan.

Despite a specialist task force being set up to investigate the raids there has been just one arrest and no charges in relation to the robberies.

Concrete blocks have been placed around an ATM at a Centra filling station near Maghera. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin 
Concrete blocks have been placed around an ATM at a Centra filling station near Maghera. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin  Concrete blocks have been placed around an ATM at a Centra filling station near Maghera. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin 

Ron Delnevo, director of the ATM Industry Association, called on the public to help. "What we need to do to stop these robberies is address how they are getting these vehicles and make sure we are alert to the fact that these vehicles are sometimes moving about at unusual times, and alert the authorities when we see that happen".

Centra in Glenshane was contacted but declined to comment.

Concrete blocks have been placed around an ATM at a Centra filling station near Maghera. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin 
Concrete blocks have been placed around an ATM at a Centra filling station near Maghera. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin  Concrete blocks have been placed around an ATM at a Centra filling station near Maghera. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin