No arrests as police hunt cash machine arson gang caught on CCTV

No arrests have been made after a gang of would-be thieves tried to blow up a cash machine.
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The gang, dressed in white overalls, attempted to steal cash from the machine the Welcome store in Upper Old Street, Stubbington, in the early hours of this morning.

CCTV footage shows a person pouring a petrol can on to the machine at the front of a shop in Stubbington and setting a trail before setting it alight.

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Gang members appear to put out the fire after it fails to explode the cash machine on the wall at the Welcome store, in Cuckoo Lane, just after 1.40am this morning.

A Welcome store was closed in Cuckoo Lane, Stubbington, on Monday, September 9 after damage was done its cash machine overnight. Picture: Richard LemmerA Welcome store was closed in Cuckoo Lane, Stubbington, on Monday, September 9 after damage was done its cash machine overnight. Picture: Richard Lemmer
A Welcome store was closed in Cuckoo Lane, Stubbington, on Monday, September 9 after damage was done its cash machine overnight. Picture: Richard Lemmer

One gang member then attacks the machine with a crowbar sending sparks flying and leaving it badly damaged as another masked person waits with a cable attached to a nearby waiting vehicle.

Sarah Hunt, who manages the shop, said it was ‘lucky’ the building didn’t go up in flames - with her 21-year-old son living in the flat above the store.

She said: ‘The lady who runs our bakery discovered the damage at around 6.15am this morning.

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‘It looks like they tried to blow the machine out of the wall using petrol.

Criminals wearing white overalls with their faces masked doused a cash machine in petrol at the Welcome store in Cuckoo Lane in Stubbington at around 1.40am on September 9 before failing to blow it out of the wall. They then attacked it with a crowbar for 15 minutes but failed to get away with the machine. Picture: Courtesy of the Welcome Store StubbingtonCriminals wearing white overalls with their faces masked doused a cash machine in petrol at the Welcome store in Cuckoo Lane in Stubbington at around 1.40am on September 9 before failing to blow it out of the wall. They then attacked it with a crowbar for 15 minutes but failed to get away with the machine. Picture: Courtesy of the Welcome Store Stubbington
Criminals wearing white overalls with their faces masked doused a cash machine in petrol at the Welcome store in Cuckoo Lane in Stubbington at around 1.40am on September 9 before failing to blow it out of the wall. They then attacked it with a crowbar for 15 minutes but failed to get away with the machine. Picture: Courtesy of the Welcome Store Stubbington

‘We’re lucky the whole building didn’t catch fire.’

Stubbington resident Andy Wilson was walking his dog when he came across the damage.

He said: ‘It’s horrible.

‘If you believe what you read on Facebook, there’s been a lot of low level crime in the area over the summer.

A Welcome store was closed in Cuckoo Lane, Stubbington, on Monday, September 9 after damage was done its cash machine overnight. Picture: Richard LemmerA Welcome store was closed in Cuckoo Lane, Stubbington, on Monday, September 9 after damage was done its cash machine overnight. Picture: Richard Lemmer
A Welcome store was closed in Cuckoo Lane, Stubbington, on Monday, September 9 after damage was done its cash machine overnight. Picture: Richard Lemmer

‘But nothing like this.’

Another Fareham resident, who asked not to be named, said she was shocked to see the damage.

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She said: ‘I’ve lived here for six years and something like this has never happened before.

‘I thought I live in a little village where not many bad things happen.

‘About six months ago my friend who lives in the area was burgled.’

A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary said: 'No cash was stolen from the machine.

'Enquiries are on-going.'

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Anyone with information is asked to contact the police on 101, quoting 44190320801.

The cash machine remains out of use, and the Welcome store has reopened.

Welcome is a franchise of the Southern Co-op.