Thieves have rocked the Grayshott community after using a stolen JCB digger to rip out a Sainsbury’s ATM in a brazen early-morning raid.

The ram raiders struck just after 3am on Monday, September 9, and while no one was present at the time, the crime was far from victimless.

Galyna Tereshchenko, a Ukrainian resident living in one of the flats above the ATM, moved to the UK to escape the war in her country. She was left terrified by the raid, fearing she was back in her war-torn homeland.

“I panicked – the noise and the shaking made me think war had come for me again. Then, when I looked out my window and saw the digger halfway through the wall, I worried the driver had lost control.”

Digger Grayshott theft
The digger was left at the crime scene which left a gaping hole where the ATM was located (Aaron Turner)

Dom, another resident, was also woken by the robbery.

“It was about 3am when I woke to the whole building shaking. At first, I thought it was thunder. I said to my wife, ‘What is that?’

“When the banging and commotion continued, I went to my balcony and saw no bad weather, but a car speeding away. I threw on some wellies and went straight down, calling the police, who arrived shortly after.”

Police were called at 3.15am following reports that a JCB digger had been used to damage the shopfront.

Hampshire Police confirmed that two vehicles were seen driving away shortly before officers arrived.

Enquiries are ongoing, and anyone who witnessed any suspicious vehicles is urged to call 101, quoting 44240386486.

The supermarket is open as usual but the ATM remains closed, Sainsbury’s apologises for the inconvenience.

Kathryn, a village resident, said: “It’s a pain not being able to use this cash machine. I just think it is crazy, I can’t see why they would have done this. I doubt they’ll put another ATM in now.”