At around 3.45am today (Tuesday 2nd July), police received a report that a telehandler had been repeatedly driven into the front of the Post Office in St Martins Drive, Desford.
The husband and wife, who own the business, were asleep in the flat above the shop – along with their two children aged four and nine.
The suspects, believed to be at least five people, were thought to have been disturbed by the family before they could remove the ATM from the wall and made off from the scene in a dark coloured BMW.
The telehandler and a Mitsubishi pickup truck were left at the scene but have since been recovered by police. Both are believed to have been stolen.
The incident has caused significant damage to the building, which is now being assessed by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council’s building control.
Detective Sergeant Sarah Walker, who is leading the investigation, said: “The actions of these people has singlehandedly destroyed a family’s home and business and we urgently want to find the people responsible.
“There were two small children asleep in the flat above the shop when this incident happened and it is a miracle no one was injured.
“If you saw any of the vehicles or a group of people acting suspiciously in the area in early hours of this morning, please call police with the information you have.
“I would also urge residents or businesses who have CCTV to check for footage that can help us piece together the events of this morning.”
Anyone with information or CCTV footage is asked to call 101, quoting incident 65 of 2 July 2019.