A THURNSCOE Post Office remains boarded up and closed after a JCB was used to demolish the front of the building and steal a cash machine.
The JCB was driven into the front of the Post Office on Houghton Road, and the cash machine was taken away in the back of a white Transit van.
The incident occurred at around 2.50am last Friday.
Neighbour Alan Walton woke to the sound of crashing and thought it was workmen.
He said: “I looked out the window and saw a white car, what must have been the getaway car, and a big van.
“The JCB picked up the ATM and dropped the machine straight into the top of the van, they must have cut a hole in it or something.
“Somebody was shouting too, a big kid with a crowbar.”
Another resident of the street, who did not wish to be named, said: “We were in bed and heard a big bang.
“I jumped out of bed and looked through the curtains, and this JCB had gone straight through the front window of the Post Office.
“Two men ran to the front of it and pulled the metal shutter off.
“It took them about ten minutes.
“They had a white Transit van and put the cash machine in the back of it.
“There were four or five men wearing masks, black tops and bottoms, and it looked like one of them was armed.”
The resident said they saw the men leave in the Transit van and a white Mercedes car.
The men abandoned the JCB on the road and it was still there when those who worked in the neighbouring shops arrived later that morning.
The road was closed between Kingsway and Church Street as police officers investigated, reopening by 10.30am.
Kevin Jones, 35, who works at neighbouring Auckland Opticians , said: “It’s a bit scary this close to home.
“It affects all the businesses on here because we all do our banking with the Post Office, we know the owner well.
“He doesn’t deserve it, no one does.
“A small village Post Office is not going to make anyone rich.”
Butcher Paul Coupland’s shop is next to the post office.
He said: “The road was cordoned off and my first impression was it could have been mine, but eventually the police let me through to check the inside and see if there had been any structural damage through the wall.
“It is pretty obvious they’ve gone after the ATM, and taken down the rest of the shop front with it.”
Another woman who works on Houghton Road, who did not wish to be named, was at the scene at 4.50am ahead of starting work and discovered the cordon.
She said: “I’m not even shocked anymore to see stuff like this happening.
“I know the Post Office has been held up a few times but this is the first I’ve heard of it being ram raided and I’ve been here five years.
“I can’t see that ATM holding enough cash to make what they’ve done justifiable, not round here.”
A Post Office spokesman said: “Thurnscoe Post Office is temporarily closed following a robbery on Friday.
“We apologise to our customers for any inconvenience caused and thank them for their understanding while we work to reopen the branch as soon as possible.”
Anyone with information should call 101 quoting incident number 79 of July 6.
