Criminals have stolen thousands of pounds from cash withdrawal machines using a hi-tech trick that leaves bank users unaware they have been robbed, the Evening Standard reveals today.

The thieves are fitting micro scanners and cameras to hole-in-the-wall machines in a swindle that marks a new level of sophistication in bank card fraud.

Previously criminals have actually had to get their hands on a victim's card but the new scam allows them to clone cards and record PIN codes without having to be in the vicinity of the cash machine.