A retail body has said that the recent spate of ATM robberies across the north are "attacks on local independent retailers who provide a valuable community service".
Retail NI has urged businesses who have cash machines to be vigilant following a further attempted theft of an ATM in Co Antrim on Wednesday.
It is believed there have been around 15 thefts or attempted break-ins of ATMs in the last two months.
In the latest incident, three men tried to steal the cash machine at a service station on Cushendall Road in Ballymena on Wednesday.
A PSNI spokeswoman said: It’s understood three men were involved in trying to force the door of the room housing the machine shortly after 2am. They made off without gaining entry.
"Detectives are keen to hear from witnesses, those with information or anyone who may have captured dashcam or other footage in the area at around the time of the crime."
Just last week police said they were investigating a "potential link" between an attempted theft of an ATM in Coleraine to other thefts across the north, which included two incidents in Armagh.
Police had earlier warned members of the public to be vigilant following a further 13 thefts or attempted break-ins at cash machines in just over seven weeks around the north, including Portadown, Toome, Kells, Poyntzpass, Derrylin and Tempo.
During one break-in, an estimated £94,000 was stolen from a cash machine in the Cabragh area of Dungannon.
Speaking ahead of a meeting with police on Wednesday, Glyn Roberts of Retail NI said: “These ATM robberies are attacks on local independent retailers who provide a valuable community service.
"We would urge all businesses who have ATMs to be vigilant and ask members of the public with any information on the recent robberies to contact the PSNI.
“There is now a perfect storm of problems around rural ATMs. In addition to the robberies, because the Assembly is down, many of our rural members will this week lose rate relief on their ATMs.
"This will cost tens of thousands on top of their already expensive rate bills.
“With so many bank branch closures, our members provide an invaluable service to many communities to access cash with their ATMs.
"Unless we see a crackdown on the robberies and a restoration of the ATM Rate Relief, many rural areas of Northern Ireland could see dozens more ATMs closing.
"This will put further pressure on people on benefits & pensioners who use cash to budget and rely on ATMS to access cash in many rural areas will be severely limited.”
