Statement by TUV leader and North Antrim MLA Jim Allister:-
“I am angry and disappointed that for the second time within days organised criminals have stolen an ATM machine in North Antrim. First, Ahoghill, now, Bushmills.
“The paucity of policing in North Antrim is, I believe, making life easy for the criminals. With barely a police officer or police vehicle available within North Antrim during the night, with such service as there is withdrawn to Coleraine, the area has been left wide open for these gangs, who are not ignorant of the opportunities lack of policing presents.
“After Ahoghill I expected targeting of ATMs, in terms of surveillance and increased patrols, by the PSNI, but once more the criminals are winning. This is not good enough.
“This is not just another ATM theft, but the ripping of a vital service out of the village of Bushmills.”
Commenting local man and TUV candidate in the village, Cyril Quigg, said, “The derelict police station in our Main Street is an advert to the criminals of how easy crime has become. With a theft like this fine tuned to 3 or 4 minutes, waiting for police to come from Coleraine means the criminals are long gone. The local community is being let down badly by an over centralised policing policy. Meanwhile, the criminals are laughing all the way to their next heist.”