POLICE cordoned off Oldbury town centre last night after an attempted robbery of a cash machine at Barclays Bank in Church Square.

Tight lipped officers on the scene refused to disclose what the problem was but it emerged there were fears of a gas leak followed the botched robbery.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "Police were called to an attempted robbery of an ATM at Barclays Bank in Church Square, Oldbury just after 8pm last night (Tuesday) by a member of the public.

"The area was cordoned off and the fire service was called to check for any possible presence of gas after the ATM had been damaged."

The spokesman added: "The cordon was lifted at 9.30pm and an investigation has been launched. Officers are reviewing CCTV and are appealing for anyone with information to call detectives on 101."