Digger smashes up Wairarapa cafe trying to steal ATM

A digger has been used to smash into a Wairarapa café in an attempt to break into an ATM.

Police were called to Kitchener's Café on Kitchener Street, in Martinborough, at around 11.40pm Friday.

Building owner Bruce Sullivan told RNZ all the neighbouring bars were full when it happened.

"This guy had stolen this loader from a firm about a kilometre away and made his way around here.

"And then when he got to 50m away back where the truck is, just went flat-out into the building and then tried to use the loader to get hold of the ATM machine and take it away… didn't get into it, but smashed it."

Sullivan said bar owners ushered everyone inside, fearing the driver of the digger was "just smashing the buildings up".

"They didn't realise he was trying to steal the ATM machine."

The suspect then "jumped out of the digger and ran off down the road", Sullivan said.

"He was wearing a balaclava. No one's come forward and said 'we know who it is'... I'd be upset if it was a local."

Sullivan said the front of the building was seriously damaged.

"Gutted, you know? My daughters have just taken over the business a few months back now… coming to the busiest time of year… there'd be at least a month or two to rectify this. So it's just downtime, you know? Girls trying to make a bloody living, somebody does this. It's bloody heartbreaking, you know?

"It's hard enough to make an earning without this, you know, but we've got a good community here. The boys, quite a number of guys, tradies have all put their hands up and said they'll give us a hand. We're gonna have to knock this part down today because it's too unstable… It's too broken."

An investigation was underway. Sullivan said he had footage from security cameras on a hard drive the police were looking at.

Police said anyone with information could call them on 105 and cite reference number 241116/2640, or call Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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