Cambridgeshire ATM Ram Raids: Cash Machine Stolen From Littleport BP Garage
Thieves tore a cash machine from a BP garage in Littleport, Cambridgeshire, at about 5am on Friday 6 November 2026, using a telehandler to smash into the building before making off with the ATM. Officers who arrived minutes later found the machine gone and the construction vehicle abandoned nearby, in the latest of a week of Cambridgeshire ATM ram raids.
Police searched the area around the Wisbech Road garage but found no suspects. Cambridgeshire Police are now appealing for dashcam, CCTV and video doorbell footage, as the force investigates a spate of similar raids across the county.
Cambridgeshire ATM Ram Raids — Quick Reference Summary
| Detail | What is confirmed |
|---|---|
| Latest incident | ATM stolen from BP garage, Wisbech Road, Littleport, near Ely |
| When | About 5am, Friday 6 November 2026 |
| Method | Telehandler used to tear the cash machine from the building, then abandoned nearby |
| Suspects | None found at the scene; area searched by officers |
| Earlier this week | Attempted ram raid at Co-op, Mitcham’s Corner, Milton Road, Cambridge, about 4am Tuesday 3 November 2026; attempted raid at a Nationwide branch in Whittlesey |
| Police appeal | Dashcam, CCTV and doorbell footage; reports of ATM tampering or “out of order” signs |
| Investigation status | Ongoing; no arrests reported in connection with the Littleport raid |
How the Littleport Raid Unfolded at 5am
The raid at the BP garage on Wisbech Road in Littleport, a village near Ely, happened at about 5am on Friday morning. Police say a telehandler — a construction vehicle with a crane-like arm — was used to rip the cash machine from the building, leaving the forecourt strewn with debris.
Officers arrived at the scene minutes later, but the ATM had already been taken. The telehandler used in the raid was found abandoned nearby, and a search of the surrounding area found no suspects. Anyone with information, including dashcam or video doorbell footage, is urged to contact police.
The Littleport theft is the latest in a run of similar incidents in the county. Greatest Hits Radio reports it as the fourth ram raid in the county this week, a count that underlines how quickly the pattern has built up in a matter of days.
A Week of Attempts From Cambridge to Whittlesey
The series began earlier in the week in Cambridge itself. Cambridgeshire Police were called to the Co-op at Mitcham’s Corner on Milton Road just before 4am on Tuesday 3 November, after a stolen red Land Rover was used in an attempted ram raid. The vehicle was abandoned outside the store, and those involved made off in a white Transit van and a blue hatchback.
Two days later, an attempted ram raid damaged the front entrance of a Nationwide branch in Whittlesey, the town near Peterborough whose name now sits among the most searched terms in the UK. That attempt failed to take the machine, but it fits the same pattern: heavy machinery, the early hours, and a cash machine as the target.
The police appeal for the Milton Road incident carries the reference 35/85287/26, and officers have asked anyone with dashcam, doorbell or CCTV footage of that raid to come forward. The force has not said publicly whether this week’s incidents are linked, and no arrests have been reported in connection with the Littleport theft.
What Police Want the Public to Look Out For
Cambridgeshire Police have widened their appeal beyond footage of the raids themselves. Officers are particularly interested in reports of people tampering with ATM machines or placing “out of order” signs on them, a tactic that can precede an attack on the machine.
Residents are also being asked to report unfamiliar heavy or high-performance vehicles parked in an area for several days, and to take basic precautions such as installing working trackers in vehicles and setting up video doorbells or CCTV. The advice reflects how the gangs operate: stolen plant machinery, moved and parked in advance, then used in a raid that takes only minutes. Police are also expanding camera use elsewhere in the UK, with facial recognition cameras planned at transport hubs and public events.
The force’s appeal echoes a pattern seen across the region this summer, when Cambridgeshire and Suffolk constabularies worked together to establish whether a spate of ram raids between the two counties was linked. In September, a cash machine believed to contain around £30,000 was stolen from a Co-op store in Perne Road, Cambridge, after a vehicle was driven into the front of the shop.
The Cost to Rural Businesses and Cash Access
Each raid leaves more than a broken wall behind. For a rural petrol station such as the one in Littleport, the loss of its cash machine removes a service the surrounding community relies on, and repairs to a smashed forecourt can keep a business disrupted for days.
The same pressure falls on the shops and building society branches targeted in the other raids. A branch that loses its ATM must arrange a replacement and reopening while its customers travel elsewhere, and a convenience store that has been rammed faces structural repairs before it can trade normally again.
That disruption is part of why the force is asking the public for help now, while the raids are still happening. Footage from a doorbell or a dashcam, or a sighting of a telehandler parked where it should not be, may be what connects one raid to the next.
What Happens Next in the Investigation
The investigation into the Littleport raid remains open, with officers continuing to appeal for information and footage. The telehandler recovered from the scene will form part of the inquiry, and police have asked anyone who saw suspicious vehicles or activity around Wisbech Road in the early hours of Friday to get in touch.
For now, the county’s run of raids stands as a warning to businesses with outdoor cash machines. Until the people behind the attacks are caught, police say the best defence is vigilance: working cameras, tracked vehicles, and a call to the force the moment something looks out of place. Police appeals for public help have become a familiar part of UK investigations, including the Royal Mail inquiry after undelivered letters were found dumped near Londonderry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did the latest Cambridgeshire ATM ram raid happen?
At the BP garage on Wisbech Road in Littleport, near Ely, at about 5am on Friday 6 November 2026. Thieves used a telehandler to tear the ATM from the building and abandoned the vehicle nearby.
What is a telehandler?
A telehandler is a construction vehicle with a telescopic, crane-like arm, normally used to lift heavy loads on building sites. Police say stolen telehandlers have been used in a series of ATM raids across Cambridgeshire and neighbouring counties.
How many ram raids have there been in Cambridgeshire this week?
Greatest Hits Radio reports the Littleport theft as the fourth ram raid in the county this week. Confirmed incidents include the attempted raid at the Co-op on Milton Road, Cambridge, on 3 November and an attempted raid at a Nationwide branch in Whittlesey.
What should I do if I have footage of a raid?
Contact Cambridgeshire Police with any dashcam, CCTV or video doorbell footage. For the Milton Road Co-op incident, police asked witnesses to quote reference 35/85287/26.
Are this week’s raids linked?
Cambridgeshire Police have not said publicly whether the latest incidents are linked. Over the summer, the force worked with Suffolk Constabulary to establish whether an earlier spate of ram raids between the counties was connected.
