Brazen UK thieves demolish a Co-op store wall with a stolen cherry picker to rip out cash machines, exposing glaring failures in European-style soft-on-crime policies that conservatives warned would spread chaos.
Story Snapshot
- Four thieves used a stolen John Deere telehandler to ram the Glen Road Co-op in Plympton, UK, stealing two cash machines loaded with a large sum on February 2, 2026.
- Devon and Cornwall Police released CCTV footage showing the dramatic raid and appealed for tips on the gang’s pre-raid lodging from January 31 to February 1.
- The abandoned telehandler at the scene highlights organized crime’s bold tactics amid rising UK ram-raids since the 2010s.
- Store faces wall damage, cash loss, and potential ATM removal, eroding community trust in retail safety.
Raid Details Unfold
Four unidentified males arrived in stolen vehicles at the Co-op on Glen Road in Plympton, a suburban Plymouth area, during early hours of February 2, 2026. They deployed a stolen John Deere telehandler, a type of cherry picker, to repeatedly ram the store wall. Burglars then extracted two cash machines containing a large undisclosed sum of cash. The gang fled, abandoning the heavy machinery at the scene. This hit-and-run exposed vulnerabilities in 24/7 community ATMs at isolated retail sites.
Police Launch Public Appeal
Devon and Cornwall Police released CCTV footage capturing the suspects’ arrival, telehandler ramming, and cash machine removal. Detectives believe the group scouted the area and stayed locally from January 31 to February 1, possibly at an Airbnb or guest house. Police urged lodging owners with bookings from four men during that period to contact them via 101 or online, referencing incident number 50260027042. Crimestoppers supports anonymous tips. No arrests reported as of early February 2026.
Pattern of Escalating Crime
Ram-raids using stolen heavy machinery like telehandlers have surged in the UK since the early 2010s. Organized groups target free-standing ATMs in rural and suburban stores for high cash yields. This Plympton incident matches national precedents, with thieves employing stolen vehicles for scouting and execution. No prior raids noted at this specific Co-op, but the method signals broader trends in opportunistic, high-impact thefts against vulnerable retail points.
Police analysis via CCTV emphasizes the gang’s pre-planning, distinguishing this from simple smash-and-grabs. The coordinated effort underscores rising sophistication in UK burglary rings.
Community and Economic Fallout
The Co-op store sustained severe wall damage, leading to temporary closure for repairs and loss of ATM access for Plympton residents. Customers now face inconvenience, while the community grapples with eroded trust in local retail safety. Economically, the theft represents direct cash loss, with long-term risks of ATM relocation or security upgrades like bollards amid declining cash usage trends.
This raid highlights standalone supermarket ATMs’ vulnerabilities, potentially accelerating shifts to in-kiosk or cashless systems across UK retail. Broader Plymouth areas feel the crime signaling effect, prompting calls for stronger deterrence.
Sources:
Cash machines ripped from Co-op in cherry picker ram-raid
CCTV shows masked gang ram-raid store to steal cash machine
