Thieves tried to rip a cash machine from the wall outside a currency exchange shop using a 20 tonne digger in the early hours of this morning.

It is believed the huge excavator was stolen from a nearby farm before being driven by the gang through Trent Park Golf Course, causing £20,000 of damage to the green to the Currency Exchange Corporation in Bramley Road, Oakwood.

According to the manager of the Currency Exchange Corporation, Brian Costa, CCTV pictures from the early hours reveal that the the gang of two or three men parked the digger between ten and 15 feet from the front of the shop and then tried to scoop the ATM out of the wall of the shop using the digger.

The attempted robbery was foiled when a police patrol van passed the shop and saw the gang trying to break down the wall.

When police stopped, the thieves leapt from the cab of the digger and made off on foot, escaping into nearby woods.

“They were very well organised,” Mr Costa told the local press. “They didn’t take anything, they were unsuccessful, but they completely demolished the ATM room which is just behind the cash machine.

“It happened at about 3am last night, but they were only there for about two or three minutes before the police turned up.”

As well as destroying the currency exchange building the thieves caused a huge amount of damage to the Green of Trent Park Golf Club.

No arrests have been made in connection with the attempted robbery.

Anyone with information can contact police on 101 or can call crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.