POLICE believe a series of raids where thieves smashed into buildings to steal ATMs and a safe could have been carried out by the same offenders.

In the past few months there have been three incidents where a vehicle was used to break into premises so that cash machines and a safe could be stolen, and detectives believe the offences could be linked.

In the early hours of November 17, thieves used a stolen Caterpillar telescopic loader to smash into the side of the Budgens supermarket in the High Street in Moreton-in-Marsh.

After stealing the ATM inside, the offenders set fire to the loader vehicle and abandoned it at the scene, before fleeing with the cash machine.

This followed a similar theft of an ATM from a Morrisons Local store in Dyer Street in Cirencester in the early hours of October 24.

It is believed that four men broke into the building through a window and removed the ATM by tying cables around the machine and dragging it away with a stolen Mitsubishi Shogun 4x4.

The thieves then abandoned the Shogun nearby in Dyer Street and escaped in another vehicle, also believed to be a 4x4.

On August 2, offenders broke down the entrance doors to the club house at Cirencester Golf Club by ramming into them using the back of a van.

Once inside, they tied cables to the safe - which was inside the club manager’s office - and van, before driving away.

The safe was pulled outside, where the thieves put it inside the back of the van before making a getaway.

Detective Constable Jon Newton, from Gloucestershire police, said: “We are investigating all lines of enquiry at this time in order to keep an open mind on this offence, however we are not ruling out that it may be related to other similar offences that have taken place recently within the region.

“We do appeal for anyone who was in the area and may have seen something to contact the police.”

The owners of the ATM stolen from Budgens, Bank Machine, which is part of the Link group, are working with Crimestoppers to offer rewards of up to £25,000 for information about the raid.

Chris Jackson, a spokesman for Gloucestershire police, said that security advice about ATMs would be given to businesses if they contact police on 101 and would be specific to each case.

He added that a visit by a harm reduction advisor could also be arranged.

Anyone with information on any of the thefts can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or call Gloucestershire police on 101, quoting incident number 29 of November 17.