Police have apprehended three men after man in Calne had his card skimmed at a cash point and £180 stolen.

The man tried to use his debit card to make a cash withdrawal at the ATM at the Co-Op, in Mill Street, at around 9.30pm on Wednesday.

But when the machine appeared to eat his card he left the scene and called his bank.

He was surprised to hear the card had been used just minutes earlier to withdraw £180 from the nearby Sainsbury’s store.

The machine had, in fact, been fitted with an illegal skimming machine, meaning crooks could steal the card, as well as the victim’s PIN number, and make a withdrawal elsewhere.

Calne neighbourhood policing team and Wiltshire Police CID worked in partnership with the CCTV team at the town council to find the people responsible.

A vehicle believed to be involved in the incident was tracked to Marlborough, where three Romanian men, who do not live in the area, were arrested on suspicion of theft.

Sgt Phil Connor of Calne police said: “Our advice to the public would be for everyone to be vigilant about this. People should check cash machines thoroughly before putting their card into the machine and if they see anything that worries them, or they feel is suspicious, call the police immediately.

“If your card disappears into the machine and will not return, try to stay within view of the machine while you contact your bank. This will help stop the offenders from returning to the machine to take the card or the device.”