A GANG armed with explosive gas blew up a cash machine at Castle Combe circuit the day after one of its biggest meetings of the year.

Chief executive Graham Marshallsay was called during the early hours of the morning after an alarm linked to police went off at the Kay Thomas Centre at the track.

He arrived to find officers examining the damage but the gang had managed to escape. He said: "They had used gas to blow up the machine and it had imploded inside. They then drove through the front doors to get to the contents.

"We had our very busy Autumn Classic on the Saturday and so the machine would have been full ready for that. I don't know how much was taken but it would have been thousands."

A police spokesman said: "We attended the cash office at Castle Combe circuit following an alarm activation shortly before 5am on October 9.

"The ATM in the side of the building had been completely destroyed and there was damage to the side of the building. It is believed a vehicle, possibly a Vauxhall Astra, was involved. CSI attended the scene and our enquiries are currently ongoing."

Mr Marshallsay said the cash machine was not owned by the circuit but serious damage had been caused to the main doors that it would have to pay to have repaired or replaced.

Mr Marshallsay said a cash machine used to be situated in the club house but the track had decided to install a newer model in the office earlier this year for racegoers to use.

Earlier this year three men were jailed for more than 30 years after they used explosive gas to blow up 27 cash machines across the UK and stole £356,330.