Police say gang may have spent months digging into branch of Tesco Express to get at cash machine

Audacious thieves in Greater Manchester have stolen tens of thousands of pounds from a cash machine after digging a 50ft (15-metre) tunnel under a building.

Detectives believe the gang may have spent months digging the complex tunnel from a patch of wasteland into a branch of Tesco Express on Liverpool Road, in the Eccles area of Salford.

Greater Manchester police appealed for witnesses who may have noticed anyone "acting suspiciously, possibly covered in soil". They believe the theft happened between midnight and 6am last Friday.

Another view of the tunnel. Photograph: Greater Manchester police

A police spokesman said the thieves took a significant amount of money contained in cash boxes before escaping via the tunnel. He refused to give the exact amount stolen but said it was in the tens of thousands.

DS Mark Toker, of the force's Salford division, said: "These people had obviously spent a long time plotting this crime and I doubt they would have been able to keep their plans secret for all that time without telling others.

"The offenders must have spent long periods of time in the area over the last few months, which people may have noticed. You may have seen people acting suspiciously on Friday, possible covered in soil. I would ask anyone with any information about the robbery to call us as soon as possible."