A gang of cash machine thieves from the West Midlands has been jailed for a combined total of more than 34 years after stealing nearly £700,000 in a series of raids across the UK. The gang, operating over a near-year-long crime spree, used specialist cutting equipment, stolen high-performance cars and a reinforced flatbed truck to attack ATMs at banks and shops from Cumbria to Cambridgeshire.
The Raids
The gang struck nine times across the UK, targeting cash machines at retail premises and banks. They deployed angle grinders and the jaws of life — equipment typically used by emergency services to free people trapped in vehicles — to rip open ATM units and extract the cash inside. For getaways they used stolen high-performance cars fitted with multiple sets of fake number plates to evade police. On one occasion the gang reinforced a flatbed truck and drove it directly into a business premises to access the cash machine.
The Cumbria Operation
The gang’s downfall came when they rented two holiday lets in Cumbria to use as a base of operations during a concentrated run of raids. Over three consecutive days in August 2024 they hit three separate shops in the county, stealing more than £128,000. Police connected the raids and the holiday let bookings, which provided crucial evidence linking the gang members to the offences. The use of a stolen Audi as the getaway vehicle also provided forensic links to the defendants.
Gang Members and Sentences
Five members of the gang were convicted and sentenced at court in March 2026. Craig Howell, 44, of Wolverhampton, was convicted following a trial and jailed for 10 years. Noel Reilly, 46, of Bromsgrove, pleaded guilty and received eight years and six months. Simon Pagett, 43, of Bloxwich, also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to eight years and six months. Oliver Matthews, 39, of Featherstone, received 40 months. Daniel Hickenbottom, 38, of Bloxwich, was sentenced to three years and nine months. All were convicted of conspiracy to burgle and related offences including handling stolen goods and possessing criminal property.
ATM Crime in the UK
ATM attacks — sometimes called ATM ramraids or ATM ripping — represent a significant form of organised criminal activity in the UK. According to UK Finance, physical attacks on cash machines cost millions of pounds each year and often cause extensive structural damage to the businesses targeted, far exceeding the value of the cash stolen. Many ATM raids are carried out by organised crime groups who plan operations across multiple regions, using stolen vehicles and specialist equipment to maximise success and evade detection.
West Midlands Police Response
West Midlands Police described the gang as a highly organised criminal group that posed a serious threat to businesses across the country. The investigation required coordination with multiple force areas including Cumbria, Cambridgeshire and others where the gang struck. Detective officers commended the community intelligence and forensic work that enabled the links between raids to be established. The sentences were welcomed as reflecting the organised and deliberate nature of the gang’s activity over many months.
