Southwell Post Office owner Kam Nijjar says Queen Street store will be open as soon as possible

A cash machine was stolen in a sophisticated and determined theft from a Post Office in Southwell.

The attack, which happened on Queen Street, took place at around 5.25am on Friday.

Nottinghamshire Police said: “It’s believed offenders used a chainsaw to get into the property and a gas canister to gain access to the machine before taking the cash from inside.”

Both Queen Street entrance points ­— The Ropewalk and Market Place ­— were closed while a police investigation took place.

Kam Nijjar, the store owner, said: “It has happened recently at the Bingham store, so the two must be linked.

“You can’t let them win.

“We need to re-open and move along with it.

“It’s just one of those things, sadly.

“It will be a big clean up job.”

A Southwell resident, Elizabeth Bagley, who was at the scene, said: “We’ll have no banks left in Southwell soon.

“You feel unsafe when you hear and see things.

“I don’t know what the people in the flats above the Post Office must feel like.

“I’ve lived in Southwell my whole life and something like this has never happened.

“You do feel unsafe and you're wary of people.

“I think people target here because it’s a small town and you can get in and out quickly.

“Lorry’s regularly come through this street and it’s a lot of noise so the people in the flats might not have thought much of any noise.

“I can’t believe it really.”

She said she felt there should be CCTV cameras in the area.

“Last Sunday I reported a man to the police who was looking suspicious in the market square,” she said.

“I had never seen him before and he was drinking; acting suspicious.

“We need more CCTV to stop things like this.”

Police inquiries are ongoing and officers are appealing to anyone with any information that could assist them.

Ring Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident 75 of January 11, or alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.