Forth ATM raid suspects fled in a silver Kia Sorrento, later recovered in Carnwath

Thieves used a stolen building site digger to ram into the wall of the newsagents and ripped out the shop’s ATM machine, getting away with it and the undisclosed sum of money it contained in a waiting car, leaving the digger behind.

Police were quickly on the scene after the raid and taped off the area, not just to protect the forensic evidence in the crime scene but to keep the public away from the damaged building until it was established it wasn’t in danger of collpase.

South Lanarkshire Council building control staff later went to the scene to carry out a full inspection of the property and the result of that is awaited.

Detectives are appealing for information following the theft, and today said: Officers were called around 4.10am after four people wearing balaclavas used a Manitou digger to forcibly remove an ATM from the wall of Bobby’s Newsagents in Main Street, causing extensive damage to the building.

The suspects then made off in a silver Kia Sorrento, which had been modified to fit the ATM.

The car was later recovered by police in the Carnwath area.

The ATM is now believed to contain a five figure sum of cash.

Detective Sergeant Erin Renwick from Wishaw CID said: “We are appealing to anyone who was in the vicinity of Main Street, Forth, in the early hours of Friday morning and may have seen or heard anything at all suspicious to please get in touch.

“We would also ask any motorists with dashcams who were travelling between the Forth and Carnwath areas to check in case they have captured any footage which could be of significance to the investigation. The silver Kia Sorrenta was very obviously modified and we would appeal to anyone who noticed this vehicle to get in touch.

“Anyone with information is asked to contact Wishaw CID via 101, quoting incident number 0397 of Friday 12 October 2018. Alternatively you can call CRIMESTOPPERS on 0800 555 111 where details can be given in confidence.”