People in a Co Cavan town face a 25km round trip to get cash out of the bank after its only ATM was stolen.

The town of Kingscourt was yesterday hit by early morning raiders who transported a large digger on a low-loader to the Bank of Ireland and smashed down the wall to take the cash machine.

Councillor Clifford Kelly said he was worried for local business after it was taken.

“It’s at least eight miles (12km) to Carrickmacross or Bailieborough to the next machine. If people have to go there to get their cash out, they’ll likely spend it there too,” he told the Irish Independent.

Mr Kelly, who is a Fianna Fáil councillor in the town, said as far as he knew nobody had reported hearing or seeing the robbery but it was understood it happened swiftly.

“I don’t understand it that nobody even heard a noise,” he said. “But it must have been very quick. It seems that there’s a gang going around doing this.”

A Garda spokesman said officers were alerted at about 4am and immediately went to the scene.

“On arrival, they discovered that a large digger had been used to remove the ATM from the bank. The ATM was placed on a trailer being towed by a light-coloured large four-wheel-drive vehicle.

“This vehicle left the scene in the direction of Carrickmacross.”

The scene was sealed off for a technical examination of the area by a Garda crime scene team.

Gardaí have appealed for witnesses to contact them at Bailieborough garda station on 042 9694570.

The Bank of Ireland branch was also targeted by three armed and masked men in June 2010.

That time, the men went into the bank and demanded staff hand over money, before escaping.

No shots were fired and there were no injuries, but staff were left badly shaken.

It was also robbed by armed men in May 2012.

The men made off with a significant amount of cash and set alight their getaway vehicle a short distance away.

In an incident that may be linked to last night’s robbery in Cavan, a built-in ATM was also stolen from a petrol station on the Ballygawley Road, in Dungannon, Co Tyrone.

Officers in the PSNI believe a digger was stolen from a business nearby before being used to smash down the wall. It was set on fire at the scene after the theft.

The ATM was placed on a trailer, as it was in the Cavan incident, and towed away by a four-wheel-drive vehicle.

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