THIEVES who use a ‘sledgehammer to crack a nut’ are executing their cumbersome antics outside Teignbridge.

Police have revealed that the gang behind car park ticket machine grabs in Bovey Tracey, Buckfastleigh and Moretonhampstead a month ago have extended their theatre of crime to North Cornwall and West Devon.

Each machine is valued at £5,000, leaving councils with a replacement bill of £100,000 for the 20 cases so far reported across the Devon and Cornwall police area.

Loss of cash from the machines cannot be quantified, although the amount is not expected to be nearly so great as the cost of replacing the machines.

The latest machine grab was in Holsworthy on November 17.