Brazen thieves rip bank's ATM from wall after ramming it with stolen JCB

Lincolnshire police said the building has been "significantly" damaged in the raid, adding that officers believe the JCB had been stolen nearby.

The force is currently appearing for witnesses in the early stages of its investigation.

Detector Inspector Paul Sands said: "This type of crime is very unusual for Horncastle and please be reassured we will do all in our power to seek out those responsible and bring them to justice."

Police believe that the offenders fled the scene in a second vehicle, which may have been a pickup truck.

The force stated that road closures are in place as their forensic enquiries continue and to ensure public safety.

A large number of staff have been deployed to follow up on various lines of enquiry.

Det Insp Sands said: "We are appealing for the public's help in finding the culprits of this organised crime, which happened overnight in an otherwise peaceful rural town.

"We have a number of officers at the scene who are there to assist with the investigation, but are also there for the public.

"Please do speak to them if you have any concerns or if you have any information that you have not already reported to us."

The force is appealing for any information, dashcam and CCTV footage.

It is the second incident involving a JCB ramming into a cashpoint in Lincolnshire, following an incident last month in which a piece of heavy machinery ripped out a cash machine from the front of a Co-op.

MPs within Lincolnshire have voiced their disappointment at a letter in August warning of police cuts going unanswered.

Seven MPs, including Reform Deputy leader Richard Tice, Dr Caroline Johnson, Sir John Hayes, Sir Edward Leigh, Victoria Atkins, Alicia Kearns and Gareth Davies, all signed the letter voicing their concerns.

Dr Caroline Johnson, MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham, said: "It is deeply disappointing that we have not heard from the Home Secretary about our fears for the future of Lincolnshire Police's funding and what she will do about the precarity of the situation the force finds itself in.

"We made clear on July 11 that Lincolnshire Police will have no choice but to progress with detrimental reductions in officer and staff numbers in October if the long-term support required from the Department is not forthcoming.

"We have again requested that the Home Secretary meet with us urgently to discuss how these funding issues can be resolved to ensure the sustainability of safe and effective policing in Lincolnshire."

A Home Office spokesman said: "Lincolnshire Police will receive £174.5million funding in the current financial year, an increase of 6.2 per cent on 2024/25.

"We will continue working with the police to ensure they have the resources they need to restore visible neighbourhood policing to our communities, and tackle the crimes that make people feel unsafe."

Up until March 2025, some 1.78million theft offences were recorded by police across the UK, down from nearly 3.41million in the previous year.

Around 531,000 shoplifting cases were reported, a peak in this period.

Approximately 78,800 robberies occurred during the period, slightly down from the previous year.

London reported the highest crime rate across the UK, with 52.9 offences committed per 1,000 people.

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