Northern Ireland

Thieves tried to rip ATM from Belfast City Hospital

Thieves tried to rip a cash machine from Belfast City Hospital on Saturday night. Picture by Mal McCann
Thieves tried to rip a cash machine from Belfast City Hospital on Saturday night. Picture by Mal McCann Thieves tried to rip a cash machine from Belfast City Hospital on Saturday night. Picture by Mal McCann

THIEVES tried to rip a cash machine from Belfast City Hospital before ramming the shutters of a string of businesses in the city and Lisburn.

Police said the suspects attempted to steal the ATM using chains attached to a black Audi.

It happened at the hospital in the south of the city at around 8pm on Saturday.

A short time later, a black car was seen ramming the shutters of several premises in Argyle Business Centre on North Howard Street off the Falls Road.

A trailer, a cash drawer and a hard drive from a CCTV system were stolen from two of the businesses.

A car was also used to ram the shutters of premises on Boucher Crescent and Boucher Place in the south of the city.

Shortly before 9pm, a car reversed into the shutters of a business on the Moira Road in Lisburn.

Several power tools were stolen.

Police are probing a link between the raids.

A PSNI spokesman said detectives want to speak to anyone who knows where the Audi car is or who was travelling in it.

"The actions of those involved in these incidents are reckless and police would appeal to anyone who observes a black coloured Audi estate car bearing damage to the bodywork to contact officers immediately by calling 999," he said.