THIEVES have stolen an ATM from a roadside petrol station near York overnight. 

Police are currently guarding the scene at the Gulf petrol station on the A1079 near Dunnington, where the cash machine looks to have been ripped from the wall of the Londis convenience store. 

A green Merlo forklift truck has been abandoned at the scene and looks to have ploughed into the wall of the convenience store to access the ATM.

Richard Thrower, area manager of Penny Petroleum who own the site, said: "We were called out by the security firm at about 2am.

"We think they have stolen the forklift from a local firm and they have come straight in and taken the end of the building out."

Helen Coates is the site manager and took the call from the alarm company at 2am.

She said: "There were about three police vans on the scene by about 2.30am and the helicopter had been out trying to catch them. 

"The building is pretty well damaged. Police want to process the scene. But the main way in would be by opening the shutters and they are worried the vibrations of the shutter opening could cause more damage."

One corner of the building is now little more than rubble, and structural engineers were called to the site to examine the damage, before the business was allowed to reopen.

Paul West, owner of P&T Contracts in Westfield, said thieves cut through fences to steal the green Merlo telehandler, which was dumped at the petrol station.

He said: "They used oxyacetylene cutters so it was a professional job.

"One of the lads phoned me up to say 'you won't believe it, but I've just passed the garage and I think it's our forklift that's been used to steal the cash machine'. I was very surprised."

Mr West said the fence had now been fixed, but he had been forced to send home seven workers and hire in a replacement vehicle for jobs on Monday, and with recovery costs for the stolen vehicle, he was out of pocket by about £12,000.

More to follow.