DETECTIVES hunting a gang that escaped with more than £3,500 after using specialist equipment to cut open a cash machine at a Coniston petrol station are hoping to broadcast CCTV footage of suspects on Crimewatch.

Detective Inspector Andy Slattery told the Gazette CCTV stills of several male suspects who visited Hills Garage just hours before it was raided on Monday, February 14, could feature on the BBC show in a bid to snare the culprits.

The Gazette reported last week how burglars used specialist cutting equipment to slice into the cash machine and steal £3,640.

"We still have not identified the suspects so we are hoping that featuring them on Crimewatch will lead to people calling in and helping us," he said.

The raid which took place at around 12.45am has not been linked to a series of meticulously planned raids on petrol stations across the north of England, where tractors and diggers have been used to "scoop" out cash machines containing tens of thousands of pounds.

Detectives from Cumbria Police are currently working with their counterparts in Lancashire, North Yorkshire, Durham and Dumfries and Galloway in their hunt for the gang, which struck at Mossdales, in Hale, near Milnthorpe, on Monday, February 14.

A tractor stolen from Burton-in-Kendal was used to rip an ATM machine containing £16,000 from the wall of the garage shortly after 1am.

The raid follows an almost identical incident in Ingleton last month when the gang used a stolen JCB to scoop out the cash machine containing £26,000 from Three Peaks Garage.

Prior to the early morning raid, the gang had slashed the tyres of three police vehicles at Ingleton police station in an apparent attempt to stall any response.

The gang who police believe is from the North West have also been linked to raids in Durham, Scarborough and Scotland.

Anyone with information on the Coniston and Milnthorpe raids is urged to call Kendal CID on 01539-722611 or Crimestoppers in strict confidence on 0800-555111.