Thieves caused £10,000-worth of damage to a car parking payment machine – in a bid to steal just £2.80.
The Wycombe District Council parking payment machine at the Riley Road car park in Marlow was vandalised today – just one day after a similar machine was broken into on level six of the Easton Street car park in High Wycombe.
Despite causing around £10,000-worth of damage to the machine, the thieves got away with just £2.80 that was inside.
The district council says the thieves took the base door off the machine and removed the whole top cabinet.
It comes just days after the Bucks Free Press revealed that more than £100,000 of taxpayers’ cash has been spent on repairing vandalised parking machines in Wycombe – prompting calls for a complete overhaul of the payment system.
Council officials said the rise in thefts has been “completely unprecedented” – with criminals targeting machines as soon as they have been replaced.
In 2016, vandals repeatedly targeting the payment machines stole £49,000.
The council says that Thames Valley Police are investigating the latest incident of theft.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel