Thieves Cut Hole In Side Of Bank To Rob ATM

Enterprising thieves have cut a hole in the side of a West Midlands bank and made off with tens of thousands of pounds.

The thieves got inside the branch of Lloyds TSB on Hagley Road West, Warley, and raided its cash machine.

They cut a hole in the masonry just big enough for one person to squeeze through, covering their activities from view with a tarpaulin, West Midlands Police said.

The overnight heist took place yards from a main road, police said, calling the burglars "audacious".

"This was an organised and carefully planned raid on a bank, at a time when the cash machine was well stocked," Detective Sergeant Michael Greenland said.

"They clearly knew what they were doing as they were very quick to commit the robbery and then get away."

The burglary was discovered on Monday morning when staff at the bank turned up to find the ATM empty.