The moment gang slice open train ticket machine with an angle grinder in cash raid

 
One man cuts away at a ticket machine as another stands with a pickaxe
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Detectives are hunting a gang who use an angle grinder and pickaxes to steal cash from ticket machines at rail stations.

Police say they have struck at six stations in north London and Hertfordshire since April, causing £100,000 worth of damage.

So far, the gang, who strike in the early hours after the stations have closed, have stolen just £3,000 in the raids.

Detective Constable Nick Thompson, of the British Transport Police, said: “I am confident this spate of thefts is the responsibility of the same gang of three men.

“They target smaller stations in the early hours when there are no staff on duty and the last train has gone. They arrive as a group, head straight to the automatic ticket vending machines and set about a sustained attack using heavy-duty cutting equipment and pick axes.

A suspect is seen on CCTV

“The dramatic CCTV video shows the men in action, attacking the ticket machines with an angle grinder and forcing the front open to get at the cash boxes inside. While the men did attempt to disable the security cameras at some stations, there is still good quality footage, including clear images of one man’s face.”

The first known incident took place just after midnight on Saturday, April 19 at Brookmans Park station in Hertfordshire.

Other stations targeted by the gang include Bayford, Watton-at-Stone, Oakleigh Park, Hadley Wood and Welham Green station.

The gang use the angle grinder and pick axes to tear off the front casings of ticket vending machines to steal mostly coins.

In some cases they have got away with less than £1,000 but the damage they have caused runs into thousands of pounds.

DC Thompson added: “The money stolen in these attacks really does pale into insignificance when you consider the cost of the damage – which is estimated as thirty-three times the value of the cash taken. These thefts haven’t just hit the rail industry financially, they’ve also caused disruption and inconvenience to passengers, with ticket machines taken out of service for repairs. “

Anyone with information should call British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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