A BANK in Co Wicklow was demolished early yesterday when a gang ripped out an ATM machine with a track digger.

The gang of up to six men ripped the front wall out of the Bank of Ireland in Tinahely, causing the roof and inside floors to collapse.

It is unclear how much cash the robbers escaped with because the ATM machine had been out of service in the run-up to the bank holiday weekend and had not been restocked.

Insp Gerry Connolly of Baltinglass Garda station said it was not clear whether they had actually taken the ATM machine as they had been unable to search the rubble.

“The building remains unsafe at the minute,” he said.

The men had stolen a tractor and a low-loader vehicle in Clonegal, Co Carlow, at about 4am before driving these to a site at Boleybawn, Lugduff, near Tinahely, where they stole a digger and loaded this on to the loader vehicle, Insp Connolly added.

The digger belonged to local man Tom Byrne, who said yesterday the vehicle was worth about €45,000. They then used it to rip the ATM from the bank, tearing the front wall asunder in the process.

The vehicles were left at the scene as the men left in a dark-coloured vehicle in the direction of Aughrim.

When gardaí were alerted to the robbery they discovered tyres of their patrol car had been slashed.

The robbery appeared to have been planned to coincide with a local walking festival which attracted a huge crowd of people and revellers to the south Wicklow village.

Hours before the robbery took place, Dwyer’s Square in front of the bank had been packed with people and revellers enjoying an open-air disco.

According to local people, the Bank of Ireland premises was demolished as the gang ripped out the machine and as they were swinging the ATM clear of the premises, the digger toppled off the low-loader.

Simon Byrne, who runs Seavers pub across the road, came out of his premises when he heard the bang. A member of the gang put a gun to his head and told him to get back in his pub.

“It is unbelievable the damage they have done. It will be a matter for Bank of Ireland now whether to tear the building down or to attempt to rebuild it,” said Insp Connolly.

“We do believe one of the men was carrying a firearm,” he added.

Appealing for witnesses, gardaí issued a description of the vehicles used in the theft: a black Mitsubishi Pager stolen in Tullow, Co Carlow, and a silver Toyota Land Cruiser taken from Castledermot, Co Carlow. Anyone with information is asked to contact Baltinglass gardaí on 059 6482610, or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.