A REWARD of up to �25,000 is being offered for the capture of a gang responsible for at least nine raids in the eastern region by using JCBs to rip cashpoints from walls.

Two of the incidents occurred in Hadleigh and Needham Market, while there have been others throughout the year in Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire.

The latest early-morning raid occurred at around 1.15am on Tuesday at Tesco Express in Taverham, Norfolk, however the thieves failed to get away with the money.

LINK, the company behind the UK’s cash machine network, is now working with independent charity Crimestoppers to offer incentives leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators.

Graham Mott, senior LINK spokesman said: “We’re urging the public to come forward with any information that they may have about cash machine crime, for example card skimming or physical attacks on cash machines themselves. Even something that may sound insignificant could be part of a bigger picture and prove invaluable in convicting someone involved in cash machine crime.”

Mr Motto stressed information can be given completely anonymously and there is no need for anyone to leave any personal information.

After Tuesday’s raid, police in Norfolk confirmed they were working with other forces in their efforts to catch those responsible.

On July 28, thieves smashed a hole in the side wall of Barclays bank in High Street, Needham Market, at around 3.30am using a digger, stolen from a building site in Baylham shortly beforehand.

The JCB took a chunk of the wall out as the cash machine in Barretts Lane was taken out. However, no money was taken.

At 3.35am on April 11 a stolen digger was used to rip out a cashpoint at Lloyds TSB in High Street, Hadleigh, at the junction with Market Place. The thieves dragged the ATM down the road behind a car, leaving the abandoned JCB behind. The cash machine was discarded after the cartridges with money in were removed.

It followed similar incidents on August 2 in Long Sutton, Lincolnshire, where the perpetrators got away with a cash machine, and in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, where they fled empty-handed.

In May, a substantial sum of money was stolen from inside an ATM at an HSBC branch in Reepham, Norfolk, using the same method, while an East of England Co-op store was targeted in Long Stratton in February, but the raiders did not succeed in getting away with the cash. The JCB gang has also struck at a cashpoint in Brundall.

There have also been raids at Croydon, Cambridge, Poleworth in Warwickshire, and Masham, near Ripon in North Yorkshire, during this year.

If you can help telephone Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.