The incident occurred shortly before 1am at the Tamoil station shop on the Landstrasse in Wettingen, Aargau cantonal police said.

Police said the culprits caused “considerable damage” to the ATM and were able to escape undetected.

The theft was discovered at 5.20am when cantonal police were alerted.

Officers have issued an appeal for witnesses or people who may have seen suspicious activity or vehicles in the area of the robbery.

Wettingen is a town of about 20,000 people about 30 kilometres northwest of Zurich.

Anyone with information linked to the theft is asked to call 056 200 11 11.