Gardai investigate as ATM is ripped from wall in Co.Louth raid

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Gardai investigating an attempted ATM theft in Co Louth are searching for a silver vehicle used by the attackers.

The incident happened on Main Street in Dunleer at around 3.30am on Saturday morning.

It is believed those responsible left the scene in a silver Toyota Land Cruiser with a partial registration of 04-MH, heading north of Dunleer.

Gardai are at the scene and a digger remains in the middle of the street outside the Bank Of Ireland, where the incident took place.

Anyone who was in Dunleer between 3am and 4am on Saturday and who saw anything unusual, and any road users with camera footage, are urged to contact gardai.

Gardai are also appealing to anyone who saw any suspicious vehicles in the Dundalk area at the same time.

There has been a spate of ATM robberies on both sides of the border this year - 16 in Northern Ireland and 15 in the Republic of Ireland.

IMAGE: By Alan Lewis - The scene of a previous ATM raid in Northern Ireland.

Fianna Fail Co Louth TD Declan Breathnach said: "I believe I speak for the vast majority of people in the border region when I say we condemned these acts.

"A continuation of ATM robberies will deprive our towns and villages of such facilities and is not helping in promoting the border region.

"Forty years of disrespect for law and order in our communities by a small number of co-ordinated criminal gangs should not be allowed to disrupt our lives or hamper the economy of local towns.

"There is now a real danger small villages and towns will lose their ATM machines, either through services being withdrawn or further raids due to the increase in criminal activity."

He appealed for anyone with information to contact gardai.