Thieves have smashed through the wall of a 500-year-old building in Chipping Campden to rip out a cash machine.

Residents in Chipping Campden awoke to the aftermath of the destruction on Thursday, after the brazen criminals stole a JCB digger to carry out the raid.

Photographs from the scene show that part of the machine remains discarded on the ground, but all the cash trays were taken.

The digger used in the smash and grab raid is also still at the scene stationary among the rubble in an area marked off by police tape.

Gloucestershire Constabulary have confirmed that they were called at 3.50am, on Thursday, November 15, after a member of the public spotted the crime taking place in the High Street of the pretty Cotswold town.

A police spokesperson said: "Two men were seen - one was sitting in the digger and one in a red pickup truck.

"Other vehicles and offenders may also be involved."

The HSBC ATM was located in the wall of Huxleys café and bar, and the area has been cordoned off by the police while forensics teams collect evidence, and the damage is assessed.

A scene guard has been put in place around the immediate area while police enquiries continue.

It is not yet known how much money was stolen.

A spokesman for Huxley's said it was open for business, and staff were assessing the damage.

The ATM in Chipping Campden’s Market Square had been out of service for several months after a previous attempted break in, and was finally fixed only a few months ago.

Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident, saw any suspicious vehicles in the area, or has any information that could help with their enquiries to call 101 quoting incident number 31 of November 15.