Thieves blow up cash machine outside shop in gas raid

The crooks targeted the cashpoint, located outside Nisa, in Colley Gate, Cradley, using a gas bottle to detonate the machine – before stealing the cash from inside it in the early hours raid.

The pair then fled the scene in a white car towards Lye, near Stourbridge.

The latest incident marks the second time the Nisa store has been targeted by criminals in a fortnight.

West Midlands Police has now launched an investigation following the theft, which is believed to have taken place at around 2.30am on Friday.

The cash machine has since been boarded up while the investigation is on-going.

Andrew Newton, who has been manager of the Nisa store for the last four years, said the crooks were seen on CCTV to move out of the way of the machine before they detonated the gas.

The 41-year-old said: “It was about half past two in the morning. It was a white Fiesta that pulled up outside.

They got a gas bottle out of the and it stood around about chest height.

“They linked it to the cash machine and pumped it with gas and promptly blew it up. It was obviously very dangerous.

"They moved out of the way before the gas was detonated. There was a bit of fire.

"I do not think they got much money really – it was in the hundreds and not thousands.

"It has caused us a bit of disruption, but it was business as usual by half past six that morning.

"We will not let it get to us in any way, shape or form – we are just carrying on.”

It comes as the shop had a charity box stolen in the previous week, with around £100 stolen. Since then, the community has rallied around and raised £400 for the shop’s charity box.

A West Midlands Police spokesman said: “Police are investigating after cash was stolen from an ATM machine outside a shop on Colley Gate, Cradley.

"Two men broke into the front of the machine and stole a quantity of cash. They then drove off towards Lye in a white car.”

Anyone with information is asked to call West Midlands Police on 101.