A NEW cash machine at an Oxfordshire Waitrose store is to be 'securely installed' into a concrete slab to stop it from being 'easily removed'.

The ATM at the Abingdon branch will also be topped off with 'paved finished' above to make it more secure.

The revelations from Waitrose come after a string of more than 15 dramatic ram raids on cash machines across the county since 2017.

Read also: ATM raids in Oxfordshire

Among the most dramatic was a heist at a small Co-op store in the village of Kingston Bagpuize near Abingdon where the thieves stole a digger from a nearby building site to tear the cash machine out of the wall before driving off with it in another vehicle.

Many shops targeted have simply not replaced the cash machines, including Waitrose on Botley Road in Oxford.

Oxford Mail:

A 3D design of the new secure cash point to be installed at Waitrose in Abingdon. Picture: Waitrose/ Vale of White Horse District Council

Sainsbury's, which is planning to open a new store on Frideswide Square in the city, in installing an ATM at the branch but is also planning to put up a ram-raid-proof bollard barrier on the pavement in front to block vehicles.

Submitting a planning application for its new cash machine at the Abingdon store, Waitrose told Vale of White Horse District Council: "The new ATM will be securely installed to a new concrete ground bearing slab with new paved finishes above which will prevent this being removed easily."

Read also: Sainsbury's plans ram raid barrier to protect ATM at new Oxford store

The company is also planning to put in new cafe doors at the branch, slightly alter the car park layout and put new LED lighting in.

The Abingdon branch is set to launch a new 'Unpacked' trial selling more goods without plastic wrapping on November 22.

Members of public can see the full plans online at whitehorsedc.gov.uk using planning application reference code P19/V2945/FUL