Hundreds of commuters were left stranded today after criminals posing as builders tried to steal a cash machine at a train station.

Up to 200 passengers were locked outside Enfield Chase station during this morning’s rush hour after crooks boarded up the entrance to hide their activities.

The thieves attempted to disguise the crime by making it look as though construction work was being carried out and then tried to smash through the back of the machine.

Commuters only discovered what had happened after one man decided to break through the boards to get into the building, and a damaged cash machine in the ticket hall was discovered.

The criminals - said by transport police to be a group of five people who struck between 2am and 4am - are believed to have used power tools to try to remove the cash machine but failed, leaving it “completely destroyed”.

Cafe owner Gunter Hollenstein, 53, said: “The entrance to the station was boarded up with plywood but there were no notices, which I thought was rather strange.

“Then I got in touch with British Transport Police and they knew nothing.

“Because nobody knew what was going on one bloke got so fed up he pushed his way through the boarded-up entrance and went up onto the platform.

“He looked in the ticket hall and realised that they’d tried to take the cash machine out.

“They didn’t manage to open the safe, but the cash machine was completely destroyed.

“We figured out that the culprits actually boarded the station up so they wouldn’t get disturbed.”

It is believed to have been the second time in months the cash machine has been targeted.

Owner of the station shop Bookstall Vinod Karenia, 58, said: “I arrived at 4.15am and could see the station boarded up and what followed was chaos. Hundreds of people arrived wanting to know what was happening.

"Only a little while ago someone tried to rob the same cash point using a gas explosion - it is getting common around here.”

The latest incident is thought to have happened between 12.30am and 5.15am.

No cash was stolen. A forensic officer from British Transport Police was today combing the scene for clues, while investigators were also preparing to study any CCTV footage from inside the station.

National Rail initially said the station was closed due to “vandalism”, and it reopened at just after 8.30am.

BTP's Det Sgt Alan Bardsley said: “We are looking for a group of five people in relation to this offence. We believe they attended Enfield Chase station between 2am and 4am on Monday and boarded up the station entrance to avoid being interrupted while they set about attempting to break into the cash machine with power tools.

“We believe the same group attended the station in the early hours of the previous morning and we are currently reviewing CCTV images in an effort to trace them.

A Great Northern spokeswoman said: "Passengers suffered a frustrating start to the week this morning following the break-in at Enfield Chase, a station used by 1.3 million people a year.

"None of our trains were able to stop there until 8am but our staff worked hard to reopen the station as quickly as possible."

She added the damage was likely to run into "many thousands of pounds".

Anyone with information is asked to call BTP on 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016, quoting E/B5 of June 15. You can also call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.