Northern Ireland

Stolen ATM recovered in Co Tyrone

<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">A digger ripped a cash machine from the wall of a petrol station on the outskirts of Dungiven, Co Derry, earlier this month. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin</span>
A digger ripped a cash machine from the wall of a petrol station on the outskirts of Dungiven, Co Derry, earlier this month. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin A digger ripped a cash machine from the wall of a petrol station on the outskirts of Dungiven, Co Derry, earlier this month. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin

A stolen cash machine has been recovered in Co Tyrone.

Police said an ATM was found by a member of the public in the Barony Road area of Mountfield, a small village outside Omagh.

So far this year, 10 cash machines have been stolen across Northern Ireland.

It is unclear where the machine was stolen from.

Detective Inspector Trevor Stevenson said the find was reported to police at around 6.20pm yesterday.

"The machine has been taken for examination and we are working with our colleagues in the banking industry to establish where the machine was taken from," he said.

"I want to thank the vigilant member of public who made the discovery and reported it to police and would urge anyone who comes across anything suspicious, or out of the ordinary, to contact us on the non emergency number 101, quoting reference number 1176 22/04/19."

READ MORE:

  • Diggers used in Crumlin and Craigavon ATM raids
  • Retailers meet Policing Board over ATM theft 'crisis'
  • Police under pressure following latest ATM theft

Cash machine robberies are on the rise - with 10 taken so far this year.

Last week, a digger was used to rip two machines from the wall of a Tesco outlet in Crumlin, Co Antrim.

Thieves also made an unsuccessful attempt to steal an ATM from a Costcutter shop in Craigavon.

Read More: Timeline of cash machine thefts

Earlier this month, a cash machine was ripped from the wall of a petrol station in Dungiven, Co Tyrone.

A specialist PSNI taskforce group has been set up to tackle the crisis but police have admitted the difficulties in keeping track of every machine.

The scene after a cash machine was stolen in Bushmills in Co Antrim earlier this month
The scene after a cash machine was stolen in Bushmills in Co Antrim earlier this month The scene after a cash machine was stolen in Bushmills in Co Antrim earlier this month

A leading business body has said the Policing Board must hold the PSNI to account over the "crisis" surrounding ATM thefts across the north.

Following a meeting with the board, Retail NI chief executive Glyn Roberts said it must ensure police have enough resources to catch the criminal gangs behind the thefts.

"So far these robberies have cost our members in excess of £1 million and they are putting businesses and jobs at risk," he said.