A £30,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the charge and conviction of thieves responsible for recent cash machine thefts in the county.

Kent Police, the banking industry and cash machine distributors are offering the money to encourage people to come forward with information.

A special hotline number has been established by Kent Police for people to call: 01622 654321.

A dedicated team of officers are busy following lines of inquiry to establish any similarities between the thefts and investigate if there are any links.

Many of the detectives already have experience of dealing with this type of crime following a series of similar thefts two years ago. That investigation led to seven people being convicted of stealing cash machines – receiving jail terms that between them totalled 33 years.

So far this year, there have been nine incidents across the county. Two have been attempted thefts where the criminals failed to take any money.

The last was at the NatWest bank in The Parade, Staplehurst, near Maidstone, at around 2.20am on Thursday, February 15.

The offenders used plant machinery to remove the cash machine from the wall before driving away in a silver 4x4 vehicle.

Part of the cash machine was abandoned at the scene of the incident and the Nat West building was badly damaged during the incident.

Assistant Chief Constable Allyn Thomas said: "The joint reward being put on offer by the banking industry, cash machine operators and ourselves is a substantial sum of money.

"I urge anyone with information to call the hotline number we’ve set up – we will treat calls in strictest confidence."

Mr Thomas added: "The theft of cash machines is a national problem, not just one in Kent. Police have been working for some time with the banking industry to encourage companies to install security measures to make thieves’ efforts to steal cash machines difficult.

"This includes the use of red dye which spoils all of the money and visibly stains the thieves in the event a cash machine is tampered with. Also, many freestanding machines are now bolted securely to the floor.’

Police have also talked to building firms about ways in which they can ensure plant machinery is secured.

Officers continue to urge the users of diggers and other large machinery to make sure they are secure to help reduce the opportunity for thieves to use them in an attempt to steal cash machines.

Mr Thomas stressed: "The public can also help the police too by calling 999 if they see the unusual movement of diggers and similar plant machinery at night or people acting suspiciously near banks and shops with cash machines."