Police are appealing for witnesses after a smash and grab ram raid at a Chippenham bank on Monday.

 

A silver Ford Focus drove through the front window of the Halifax branch in the High Street on Monday evening just before 7pm – making of with an unknown amount of cash.

 

A cash delivery was being made to the premises at the time of the raid, and the thieves made off with cash cassettes which were due to be loaded into the ATM machines.

 

Three men got out of the car and stole the cash before abandoning the Ford Focus and fleeing the scene at speed in a black Volkswagen van.

A short time later, a black Volkswagen van, with its number plates removed, was found in St Mary's Street, Chippenham, around 300 metres from Halifax.

 

The security guards were not injured in this incident and Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators attended the scene, and both the vehicles have been recovered for forensic examination. 

 

The total amount of cash stolen, still has to be established, but it is not anticipated that an exact amount will be released.

 

Detective Sergeant Mark KENT is leading the investigation and says, “ Whilst we have a number of witnesses from the Market Place area, I am appealing for anyone in the vicinity of St. Marys Street who saw the black VW van being driven at speed, or at least 3 men abandoning this vehicle and getting into another, and driving off, to contact me as a matter of urgency.

  

 “Additionally, I need to establish whether this 3rd vehicle drove off back in the Market Place direction, or whether it continued along St. Marys Street, in the direction of London Road.

 

“It is certain that the vehicle would have been travelling at speed, so any information, however trivial it may seem, is important to me.”

  

Information may be left by ringing 0845 408 7000 and Detective Sergeant KENT has guaranteed that any information will be treated as confidential, and if preferred he can be contacted on extension 728300.  Alternatively, anonymous information may be left by ringing Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.