More than £1m believed to be stolen in security van and ATM theft

Money was stolen from a security van in Aughnacloy, County Tyrone

The amount of money stolen in an armed robbery of a security van and ATM in County Tyrone is believed to be more than £1m.

Men wearing boiler suits and masks threatened security staff who were at a cash machine at a filling station in Caledon Road, Aughnacloy, at 06:40 BST on Wednesday.

The men, who were armed with suspected firearms, ordered staff into the cash machine bunker while they removed boxes of money from their security van.

Police said the men made off in a dark-coloured Audi Q7 with a significant sum of money. No-one was injured.

Officers are also liaising with An Garda Síochána (Irish police) as part of their enquiries.

A police spokesperson said that "all information" about the incident was needed, and that it was a "shocking experience" for the staff involved.

A spokesperson for Pivotal Sec Plus, whose van was robbed, said: "Our greatest concern is for our employees following this frightening experience, and we are working to support their well-being."

"We shall continue to assist the PSNI during the investigation," it added.

Retail NI chief executive Glyn Roberts said the robbery was "utterly unacceptable".

"Attacks like these are directly contributing to the decline in ATM availability in local communities and are restricting access to cash — particularly for those on benefits and others who rely on cash for daily transactions," he added.