Police and bank staff are trying to discover how much money was taken

Police are hunting for a group of men who pulled a cash machine out of the wall of a bank in Devon.

A stolen red forklift truck was used to take the machine out of the branch of the NatWest in Bridge Street, Hatherleigh, at about 0315 GMT.

The cash machine was extensively damaged and a hole measuring about 8ft by 6ft (2.4m by 1.8m) was left in the front of the building.

The amount stolen could be up to a six-figure sum, the bank said.

Staff from the bank were called to the branch to assess the damage and verify the amount taken.

Three men wearing reflective clothing, and who may also have been wearing hard hats, were seen leaving the scene in an unknown vehicle.

The Manitou forklift truck was stolen in the Bideford area between Thursday evening and Friday morning, police said.

They have appealed for anyone who may have seen it in the areas of Bideford or Okehampton before the robbery.