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Bank cash machines ripped out and taken away in horsebox

News imageBBC A taped-off Royal Bank of Scotland branch with windows smashed and debris outside. There is a large red telescopic forklift outside.BBC
The bank was targeted in the early hours of the morning

Two cash machines have been ripped out of the walls of a bank in southern Scotland and taken away on a horsebox in an early morning raid.

Peebles High Street has been closed to vehicles after the Royal Bank of Scotland branch on the town's Eastgate was targeted at about 03:00.

A telescopic forklift was left abandoned in the street and Borders Buses has said it will not be able to serve the nearby bus stop until further notice.

Police Scotland has appealed for any witnesses to what it described as a "planned series of crimes involving stolen vehicles".

News imageRubble across the pavement and damaged cars outside the Peebles branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland
Rubble was left strewn across the pavement following the incident

Police said a grey Audi saloon car, grey Isuzu D-Max pick-up towing a horsebox and a Manitou telehandler had entered the Eastgate area in the early hours of the morning.

The forklift was used to ram the building and remove two cash machines before they were loaded onto the horsebox.

The pick-up and horsebox had been reported stolen while the vehicle used to smash into the bank, which is also believed to be stolen, was left at the scene.

News imagePeebles High Street cordoned off with a police car in the foreground
The road was closed to traffic following the raid

Three men, all wearing dark clothing, were seen leaving the area in the Audi and pick-up heading in the direction of Northgate.

Det Insp Keith Sinclair said: "This was clearly a planned series of crimes, involving stolen vehicles, to target the cash machines.

"Extensive inquiries are ongoing to trace the suspects and officers are working through CCTV from the area and speaking to witnesses."

He appealed to anyone with information or anyone who saw any of the vehicles to get in touch.

News imageA Royal Bank of Scotland branch with a big hole in front of it and a number of cars lined up behind police tape
Anyone with information about the incident has been asked to contact police

Footage posted on social media shows the machines being dragged out of the badly damaged building.

One person dressed all in black is standing outside the bank while the forklift pulls the cash machines away.

It can then be seen lifting one of them up into the air before it is lowered carefully onto the back of the horsebox.

The figure outside the bank then runs towards the back of the vehicle with arms waving before appearing to signal for the forklift to be raised back up after dropping the first ATM into position.