Burglary attempt at Co-op

Three offenders were forced to get away empty-handed after trying to tie a rope around the machine at the Co-op Food in Shevington and rip it out.

The burglars cut a large hole in the store’s roller shutter and smashed the glass door behind it to gain entrance to the Gathurst Lane shop.

However, they were unable to steal the cash machine and eventually fled the scene in a dark-coloured 4x4 without taking anything.

The dramatic incident happened at around 3.30am on Saturday and is believed to have involved three men wearing dark clothing.

Fire crews were called to the scene as the raid triggered a device which filled the store with smoke, leading some residents nearby to believe there was a fire.

The offenders left a quantity of rope on the Co-op floor when they left. It is not clear what equipment was used to cut through the shutter.

No arrests were made and Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are now hunting for the three burglars, who are believed to have left the area.

It is not the first time the Shevington store has been targeted. A group of four burglars launched a similar bid to steal a cash machine from the Co-op in December 2012 but their plan failed when a smoke bomb set off the shop’s fire alarm.

Anyone with information about this incident should ring police on 101 or call independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.