THIEVES who blew a cash machine out of a wall outside a bank "knew exactly what they were doing", according to police.

Police are continuing to appeal for information after thieves used a gas canister to blow the ATM off the wall at a HSBC bank in Astley Bridge.

The incident happened at about 4.15am on Saturday, December 6, when five men pulled up in a car outside the bank in Hill View Road.

Four of the men then got out of the car and approached the ATM before two of them returned to the vehicle to get the gas canister, which was then used to blow the cash machine out of the wall.

The same HSBC bank was targeted by armed raiders who robbed a security guard of a cash box in August.

Police investigating the latest incident are now asking for the public's help and would like anybody with information to come forward.

Det Con Phil Warburton said: "This job obviously took some planning and the men involved clearly knew exactly what they were doing.

"Thankfully, the explosion that blew the cash machine out of the wall did not cause too much damage to the surrounding area and, as it happened early in the morning, there was nobody else around who could have been potentially injured."

Anybody with information can contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.