A pickaxe and angle grinder wielding gang have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to a train station.

The group have targeted train stations in Enfield, Barnet and Hertfordshire since April, causing more than £100,000 worth of damage and stealing £3,238 from ticket machines.

Hadley Wood station, in Crescent West, Enfield, was hit by the mob on May 19, and CCTV pictures have revealed three men targeting the ticket vending machine.

A total of £667 was taken from the machine but they left £23,500 worth of damage to the station.

The British Transport Police (BTP) has now launched an investigation and is appealing for any witnesses to the incident to come forward.

Detective constable Nick Thompson, leading the investigation, said: “I am now confident this spate of thefts is the responsibility of the same gang of three men. They target smaller stations in the early hours when there are no staff on duty and the last train has gone.

“They arrive as a group, head straight to the automatic ticket vending machines and set about a sustained attack using heavy-duty cutting equipment and pick axes.”

“The dramatic CCTV video shows the men in action, attacking the ticket machines with an angle grinder and forcing the front open to get at the cash boxes inside.

“While the men did attempt to disable the security cameras at some stations, there is still good quality footage, including clear images of one man’s face.”

Damage was also found at Brookmans Park, Bayford, Watton-at-Stone, Oakleight Park and Welham Green stations.