Four bungling thieves tried to steal a cash machine from outside a Hove shop but were spotted.
As they escaped – in two four-wheel drive vehicles – they managed to crash into each other.
The men tied a rope to the cash machine in front of the Iceland shop in Blatchington Road, Hove, in the early hours of this morning.
They were spotted just before 4am by which time they had managed only to pull the plastic front off the machine.
It was later found in Belfast Street, just off Blatchington Road, while the cash machine was intact.
After being spotted they drove off towards the Tesco in Church Road and are believed to have had a minor prang.
Sussex Police described one of the men as black, of medium build, wearing a high-visibility silver jacket and black combat trousers.
A second was believed to be white, of thin build with a bald head and wearing silver overalls with a hooded top.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Sussex Police on 0845 6070999 or to call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
