When would-be bank robbers tried to loot a cash machine in Thuringia on Sunday morning, they decided the simplest option was to smash their way in with a digger. But the operation didn't go entirely smoothly.

At around 5:15am on Sunday, residents in an apartment block in Münchenbernsdorf awoke to the sound of their building being ripped apart.

Unidentified criminals had stolen a digger from a nearby firm and driven it to the town's new Geraer Bank branch, where they tried to rip the entire cash machine free of the wall.

All six of the building's residents got themselves to safety and alerted police, while the town's voluntary fire service was notified at 5:30am.

But despite causing an estimated €50,000 worth of damage to the two-storey building, the thieves left empty-handed.

Luckily no-one was injured in the attempted burglary – but residents were evacuated while structural engineers surveyed the building and confirmed its stability.

Further examinations will take place this week.

bbabo.Net