Your cash at risk at 02:50? stolen JCB rips Lloyds ATM in Horncastle as gang flees in pickup

Residents in a quiet market town woke to sirens and smashed masonry after a jarring early-hours incident on the high street.

Police are investigating after a digger tore an ATM from a bank wall in the centre of Horncastle at 02:50 BST. Officers believe a JCB was taken locally, driven to the scene, and used to wrench the cash machine free. A second vehicle, thought to be a pickup, carried the suspects away within minutes. The bank building sustained serious structural damage, and roads around the scene remain restricted.

What happened in the small hours

According to Lincolnshire Police, the raid targeted the Lloyds Bank branch on High Street in the early hours of Saturday. The machine was pulled from the wall, leaving rubble strewn across the pavement and exposing the bank frontage. Officers arrived shortly after 02:50 BST and quickly secured the area.

Police say a JCB, suspected to have been stolen nearby, was used to rip the cash machine from the bank wall.

Detectives describe the incident as highly unusual for Horncastle, a rural market town more used to quiet weekends than heavy plant clattering through its centre. Investigators believe the thieves planned the operation, selecting a short window, a powerful vehicle and a quick exit route.

A fast escape and a second vehicle

After the smash-and-grab, the suspects left the scene in what may have been a pickup truck. That getaway vehicle would have allowed the gang to abandon the bulky digger and move the cash machine or parts of it rapidly. Officers are checking number-plate recognition data, traffic cameras and local business systems for traces of both vehicles.

Forensics, roads and community safety

Specialist forensic staff began work at first light. Their tasks include photographing tool marks, collecting debris, and swabbing the cab and handles for DNA or glove fibres. Engineers will assess the bank’s facade to ensure no immediate risk to passers-by or neighbouring properties.

Road closures and cordons remain in place while investigators work the scene and structural checks are completed.

Police have deployed a visible presence in the town centre, both to support the investigation and to reassure residents. Officers on foot patrol are speaking with shop staff and early risers to gather sightings, dashcam logs and overnight delivery times.

What police want from you

Detectives are appealing for witnesses and any footage that could help piece together the timeline. Even brief clips can matter.

• Dashcam or helmet-cam video recorded between 02:00 and 03:30 BST in Horncastle or surrounding lanes
• Home CCTV or doorbell footage facing High Street or approach roads overnight
• Sightings of a JCB moving late at night, especially at unusual speed or without lights
• Reports of a pickup truck parked oddly, idling with lights off, or carrying heavy items shortly after 03:00 BST
• Any knowledge of recent plant machinery thefts or attempted thefts nearby

Key details at a glance

Why diggers feature in cash machine raids

Backhoe loaders and similar plant offer thieves brute force and height. A JCB can reach an ATM casing with its front bucket and apply steady prying pressure. Once anchors give way, the machine can yank the safe housing from brickwork in seconds. The noise and impact are huge, but the window before police arrive can be short on quiet rural streets. Gangs rely on speed, familiarity with the machine and a clear escape route.

Plant theft is a longstanding rural crime problem. Diggers often sit on building sites or farmyards with keys stored nearby, or with universal starter systems that determined offenders can bypass. Once stolen, a machine can be used as a battering ram and then abandoned, leaving investigators to trace its origins and any forensic traces inside the cab.

Risks for bystanders and nearby homes

Raids with heavy machinery can cause falling masonry, ruptured cabling and cracked glazing. Flying debris can injure anyone within a few metres. Residents should avoid cordons and keep clear of damaged buildings until engineers give an all-clear. If you live above or adjacent to a targeted frontage, report any new cracks, sticking doors or smells of gas.

What this means for customers and businesses

Customers may find the ATM out of service for days while repairs proceed. In the meantime, cardholders can use supermarket tills that offer cashback, or visit alternative cash machines in petrol stations and convenience stores. Many retailers now accept contactless payments for small purchases, which helps the high street continue trading.

For shopkeepers near the cordon, opening hours may shift while contractors make the site safe. Keep delivery firms updated on changed access routes. If your premises cameras captured the street overnight, back up the files and preserve the originals for officers. Insurers often require prompt notification and copies of footage logs.

If you have footage or information

Contact Lincolnshire Police via the usual non-emergency channels and state the time and location of this incident. If you prefer to remain anonymous, use an independent crime reporting service. When submitting video, note the device type, the exact time window and the camera angle. Do not upload clips to social media before officers have reviewed them, as that can compromise evidence or encourage copycats.

How banks harden against ram-raids—and where gaps remain

Most modern ATMs sit inside reinforced housings. Many also include ink-dye systems that stain banknotes once a safe is forced. Yet external machines on older brick facades remain vulnerable to prying forces from buckets and straps. Protective bollards help, but they need correct spacing, depth and strength to resist the leverage of a digger arm. Town centres with narrow pavements or listed buildings can struggle to install stronger barriers without affecting access or heritage features.

Construction sites and farms can reduce risk by storing keys away from vehicles, fitting immobilisers, and fencing machinery behind locked gates. GPS trackers help locate stolen plant quickly. Lighting, motion alerts and clear signage deter opportunists. Neighbours who share private tracks or yards can set up simple phone trees so suspicious late-night movements are reported fast.

Short bursts of vigilance from residents—glancing at a late-night noise, saving a clip, noting a number plate—often crack these cases.