Banstead residents and local businesses are concerned, after a Barclays cash machine was ram-raided before 2am on Sunday, September 2.

The cash machine ram-raid has caused extensive damage to the building and cash machine itself which was abandoned on a nearby roundabout.

This was the third incident of its kind in the Banstead area in the past four months, after a Co-operative in Banstead and a Newsagents in Woodmansterne were ram-raided in May.

Ian Gordon, a retired police officer from Banstead, said “The people I speak to are certainly very concerned about the absence of police.

“They feel they’re being let down and it’s not the police officers themselves who are doing the best they can.”

“Banstead police station used to have about probably 40 officers over a 24 hour period, which means that they had a full complement of a response car, a police officer on the beat.

“Now it sits with barely anybody in it. It acts as a part-time police station.”

Officers have been conducting house to house enquiries in the local area, forensic testing items left at the scene, and reviewing nearby CCTV in order to gather evidence.

Surrey Police believe the ATM was removed using a digger stolen earlier in the evening from a nearby building site.

Officers believe the thieves drove a dark coloured convertible BMW and a Land Rover Defender.

A police spokesperson said: “We recognise that ATM thefts across Surrey cause concern and disruption within the local community.”

Surrey police had sought to reassure the public last month after a spate of ATM thefts in Surrey since July by putting out a statement on August 23.

The statement read: “These thefts will often take place in more isolated locations and some of our areas in Surrey are more vulnerable as they offer easy access to at least two other counties.”

Anyone with information about the two vehicles, ram raid, digger theft is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference PR/45180093974.