Two people have been charged in connection with an attempted ATM theft in south Belfast. The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, July 13, on the Upper Lisburn Road in Finaghy.

Police received a report shortly after 4am that an attempt had been made to break into the machine. Officers found damage to the ATM but noted that nothing had been taken.

A 51-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman were arrested and later charged with attempted burglary with intent to steal, going equipped for burglary, and drugs offences.

The man appeared before Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, July 14. The woman is expected to appear before the same court on August 10.

As is standard practice, the charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.

Detectives have appealed for anyone who witnessed suspicious activity in the area around the time of the incident, or who may have CCTV or dash-cam footage, to contact police on 101, quoting reference number 280 of 13/07/26.