Nationwide Building Society cash machine back in place in Sawbridgeworth seven months after ram-raid

A cash machine that was ripped from the wall by ram raiders in Sawbridgeworth earlier this year has finally been replaced.

The Nationwide Building Society machine was stolen on April 23, when a gang used a telehandler forklift truck to rip out the machine, causing extensive damage to the building in Knight Street.

The machine was lowered onto a pick-up truck, which had been stolen from the car park of the nearby George IV pub, and the gang of at least three men drove away.

The owner of the pick-up truck confirmed it had been found burned out in Cambridgeshire – although Herts police would not confirm it was the one used in the raid and have not issued a statement about any arrests.

The branch reopened in May, but the cash machine was not replaced until last week.

After a photo of the new machine was posted on the Sawbridgeworth Facebook Group, some residents were pleased to see it back, but others feared it would again be a target for ram-raiders.