Horncastle 2:50am shock: stolen JCB tears out Lloyds ATM — did your dashcam spot the pickup?

A quiet market town woke to cordons, dust and uneasy questions while investigators picked through debris in the half-light of dawn.

Shortly before 3am, Horncastle residents met closed roads and flashing blues as officers began unpicking a fast, destructive raid on a high street bank.

What happened on high street

Police say a stolen JCB digger was used to wrench a cash machine from the wall of Lloyds Bank on High Street at about 02:50 BST. The force believes the plant machinery was taken locally and driven a short distance to the target. A second vehicle, thought to be a pickup, carried the offenders away after the smash-and-grab.

The bank’s frontage suffered major structural damage. Masonry and metalwork spilled across the pavement, forcing officers to seal off the area while engineers assessed the building. Traffic diversions went up as forensic specialists worked against the clock to capture trace evidence before morning footfall washed it away.

Police were called at 02:50 BST to a high street bank where a stolen digger ripped out the ATM and a suspected pickup fled the scene.

The hunt for the gang

Detectives described the incident as rare for Horncastle, and deployed extra staff to pursue several lines of enquiry. Teams are combing CCTV, scanning automatic number plate recognition hits across nearby routes and checking recent reports of plant thefts in the area. Officers at the cordon spoke to early risers and shop staff, while house-to-house enquiries began on adjoining streets.

The appeal is focused on eyewitnesses and digital traces from the hours around the raid. Even small snippets — a reversing light in the distance, an unusual engine note, the clank of tracked machinery — could add a crucial piece to the timeline.

• If you drove through Horncastle between 02:00 and 03:30 BST, check your dashcam for a moving digger or a fast-leaving pickup.
• Look for fresh damage or unusual loads on a pickup or flatbed near High Street before or after the time of the raid.
• Review doorbell cameras and shop CCTV that face roads feeding into the town centre.
• Report any plant machinery seen on the move at night or parked strangely on verges or lay-bys.

Officers want witnesses, dashcam and CCTV. Small clips that seem trivial can bridge gaps in the route the offenders took.

Why raiders use heavy machinery

Using a stolen digger to attack a cash machine is crude but quick. The boom can punch through brickwork, the bucket can lever out the ATM cabinet, and the frame of a high-street branch is no match for several tonnes of force. Raiders often work to a tight window, aiming to be in and out before patrols or alarms trigger a full response. They accept the noise and damage in exchange for speed.

These raids tend to hit smaller towns where streets are quiet and escape routes lead quickly onto A-roads. Horncastle sits near the A153 and A158, which can funnel a vehicle towards larger networks before daybreak. Even if the cash cassettes carry dye packs or GPS, gangs gamble on grabbing a haul or abandoning quickly if deterrents trigger.

Minutes of brute force can mean days of disruption for residents, and expensive repairs for a high street already under strain.

What locals can expect today

The area around the branch will likely remain closed while surveyors check the facade and utilities are made safe. The branch will stay shut until structural checks finish. Customers may need to use alternative cash points at supermarkets or post offices in neighbouring streets, and shops near the cordon could open later than usual.

Police will keep a visible presence through peak hours to guide pedestrians and drivers. Expect temporary diversions, restrictions on parking and occasional short holds while crime-scene photographers and engineers work.

How to share information safely

Contact Lincolnshire Police via the non-emergency line or through the force’s online reporting portal if you have images, video or sightings that may help. For urgent sightings of suspicious vehicles still in the area, call 999. Anonymous reports can be made through independent charity channels. Provide the location, the time window around 02:50 BST and a short description of what you have.

If you plan to transfer large video files, keep the originals untouched. Do not post them on social media first, as compression can crush useful details like number plates, reflective strips or distinctive damage.

Could your dashcam make the difference?

Dashcams capture more than we notice at the wheel. Headlights pick out fresh scrapes on a tailgate, a camera might catch a partial registration in a reflection, and audio can reveal the metallic clatter of a tracked vehicle on tarmac. If you drove the A153, A158 or routes feeding High Street before dawn, scan recordings in 10–15 minute blocks, zoom in on junctions and slow for frames where signage or kerbs create natural light.

What this means for banks and builders

Attacks with plant machinery hit more than one balance sheet. Banks must pay for repairs, security upgrades and temporary service provision. Builders work under pressure to stabilise facades that carry hidden stresses after a ram-raid. Local traders lose footfall when cordons push customers elsewhere. Insurers investigate whether sites had bollards, reinforced plinths, timers, or cassette-dye systems that deter repeat attempts.

Practical defences are improving. Retractable bollards, deeper footings for ATM housings, and street furniture that blocks approach angles can slow a digger enough to frustrate an attack. For plant owners, immobilisers, geofencing and chained compounds reduce the pool of machines thieves can grab for free. Night-time patrols near yards and construction sites also cut risk.

If you’re worried about overnight noise or damage

Keep a simple checklist. Note the time, the direction, and what stood out: a yellow machine at speed, a pickup riding low, a smell of diesel where it shouldn’t be. Photograph only from a safe distance and never confront suspects. Store footage on your device and share it with officers when asked. These small actions help investigators stitch together the offenders’ route and recovery points where stolen vehicles may have been abandoned.

Residents can also ask landlords and local councils about physical protections around cash points and shopfronts. Measures like shallow-angle kerbs, planters set at wheel height and anti-ram posts are modest investments that keep vehicles from lining up a clean strike. When streets feel protected, would-be thieves often move on.