Forklift Used to Tear Cash Machines from Peebles Bank in Daring Overnight Raid

Two automated teller machines were forcibly removed from the exterior wall of a Royal Bank of Scotland branch in the Scottish Borders town of Peebles during a carefully orchestrated overnight heist, authorities have confirmed.

The incident unfolded at approximately 03:00 on Tuesday when a stolen telescopic forklift was driven into the building on Eastgate, according to Police Scotland. The heavy machinery was used both to breach the structure and to extract the cash machines from their mountings before they were hauled away on a horsebox, officers said.

The town's High Street has been shut to vehicular traffic in the aftermath of the raid, and local bus operator Borders Buses has announced that services will be unable to stop at the nearby bus stop for the foreseeable future. The closure has caused disruption to the morning commute and local businesses in the town centre.

Detectives investigating the case have described the operation as a "planned series of crimes involving stolen vehicles." According to Police Scotland, three vehicles converged on the Eastgate area in the early hours: a grey Audi saloon, a grey Isuzu D-Max pick-up truck towing a horsebox, and a Manitou telehandler.

The telehandler, a heavy-duty forklift with an extendable boom, was utilised to ram the bank building and dislodge the two cash machines. The devices were then loaded onto the horsebox attached to the pick-up. The incident bears the hallmarks of a professionally executed organised crime operation, according to the details released by investigators.

Police have confirmed that both the pick-up truck and the horsebox had previously been reported stolen. The vehicle used to smash into the bank—the telehandler—is also believed to have been stolen and was abandoned at the scene following the raid. The Audi, meanwhile, was used by the suspects to flee the area.

Three men dressed entirely in dark clothing were observed leaving the location in the Audi and the pick-up, travelling in the direction of Northgate. Their descriptions have not been further detailed by authorities at this stage.

Detective Inspector Keith Sinclair, who is leading the investigation, said: "This was clearly a planned series of crimes, involving stolen vehicles, to target the cash machines. Extensive inquiries are ongoing to trace the suspects and officers are working through CCTV from the area and speaking to witnesses." He also issued a direct appeal to members of the public who may have seen any of the vehicles involved or who possess any information relevant to the case.

The aftermath of the raid was captured in images showing rubble strewn across the pavement outside the bank, with debris scattered over a wide area. Several parked cars near the branch also appear to have sustained damage during the incident. Police cordons have been erected around the scene as forensic teams conduct their examinations.

Video footage circulating on social media appears to document part of the heist. The clip shows one individual dressed in black standing watch outside the damaged bank while the forklift manoeuvres the cash machines away from the building. The machinery can be seen lifting one of the ATMs into the air before lowering it onto the rear of the horsebox. The figure on the ground then runs towards the back of the vehicle, waving his arms, before apparently signalling for the forklift to be raised once more after the first machine had been deposited.

The use of a telehandler in such crimes has become an increasingly common tactic among organised criminal groups targeting ATMs across the United Kingdom in recent years. These machines, designed for agricultural and construction purposes, possess the lifting capacity and reach necessary to breach reinforced bank walls and extract heavy cash dispensers rapidly. The method, sometimes referred to as "ATM ripping," has been linked to a number of high-profile incidents in rural and semi-rural communities where response times by law enforcement may be longer.

Peebles, a historic market town in the Scottish Borders with a population of approximately 8,000, is unaccustomed to incidents of this nature. The town centre location of the targeted branch, on a main thoroughfare, underscores the brazenness of the operation, which was carried out in the early hours when the streets would have been largely deserted but in close proximity to residential properties.

The Royal Bank of Scotland has not yet issued a public statement regarding the incident or the operational status of the branch. It remains unclear whether the cash machines contained any money at the time of the theft, or what the total financial loss might be. Banks typically do not disclose such details while police investigations are active.

Local councillors and community representatives have expressed concern about the impact on the town. The closure of the High Street to vehicles has affected traffic flow through the town centre, and the loss of the ATM facility may inconvenience residents who rely on cash access, particularly elderly members of the community and those without digital banking options.

Borders Buses confirmed in a statement that its services would not be able to serve the bus stop located near the affected branch until further notice, urging passengers to use alternative stops. The company advised customers to check its website and social media channels for updates on any route changes or delays.

Police Scotland has urged anyone with information about the incident, or anyone who may have observed any of the stolen vehicles—the grey Audi saloon, the grey Isuzu D-Max pick-up, or the horsebox—in the hours leading up to or following the raid, to come forward. Officers are particularly keen to speak with anyone who may have dashcam footage from the Eastgate area or surrounding streets between 02:00 and 04:00 on Tuesday.

The investigation remains active, with detectives pursuing multiple lines of inquiry, including forensic analysis of the abandoned telehandler and the review of CCTV footage from cameras positioned across the town centre. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility that the suspects may be linked to a wider network of criminal activity targeting cash machines in the region.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland directly, or to provide information anonymously through Crimestoppers. Detectives have stressed that even seemingly minor observations from members of the public could prove critical to advancing the case and identifying those responsible.