Heavy machinery used to smash Nationwide frontage.
Shocked residents woke today to find their High Street bank ram raided overnight causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.
Thieves used agricultural machinery to rip through the Nationwide bank in Olney's façade and rip out the cash machine. Police were called but by the time they arrived the machine and criminals were gone, leaving a gaping hole in the Grade 2 listed building.
“It’s devastating,” said one resident. “I can’t believe the damage this has caused. Apart from that, it’s terrifying for the people who live here and very unsettling.”
It’s not the first time the bank has been targeted – in 2010 the front of the branch was ripped out when thieves used a digger to steal the ATM machine. And earlier this year the nearby Sainsbury’s store in Olney suffered a similar fate when its cash machine was torn from a wall.
“We are aware of an incident at our Olney branch overnight,” said a Nationwide spokeswoman. “We have already begun the process to get the branch up and running as quickly as possible and we will let customers know more as soon as we can.”
The bank’s website says the branch is ‘closed until further notice’.
