Thieves blow up cashpoint at petrol station before emptying contents Blast shook nearby homes and started a fire on the forecourt Thieves made off with wads of cash from petrol station on Easter Sunday Neighbours in Hampshire heard a loud bang and rang the police By Olivia Williams This is the moment a petrol station cash machine was ripped apart by a huge explosion. CCTV footage shows the quiet forecourt burst into flames before metal crashes to the ground. Luckily for the thieves who set off the homemade bomb and stole the cash at 4am on Easter Sunday, the fireball did not ignite any fuel. Before the blast: Police were called to the Texaco petrol station in Hampshire at 4am on Easter Sunday Fireball: CCTV footage shows the stand alone cashpoint being blown apart on the petrol station forecourt Hampshire Police have released these images as a warning to others that attack like this one, at a Texaco station in Weyhill could cost lives. Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Murray said: "Although this was a relatively contained explosion and fortunately no-one was injured, the unpredictable nature of this type of offence means we could easily have been dealing with serious injury or death. Blast: Criminals used gas cylinders in a dangerous 4am raid. The loud bang alerted neighbours in Weyhill Explosion: The gang could easily have set the whole petrol station alight if the fire had reached the fuel Chaos: The gang grabbed wads of money and fled from the petrol station Our priority is to keep the public safe and by showing this CCTV footage, we hope it highlights how potentially dangerous an explosion of this type can be. He added similar incidents in Europe had ended in tragedy. Members of the public who see any unusual wires or cables running from ATMs should stay clear and call the police. Destruction: When the smoke cleared, pound notes were seen scattered over the forecourt Daring raid: Money, metal sheeting and debris shot across the petrol station and the explosion was so strong that it shook nearby homes