A total of £22,000 was stolen from pay and display machines around Merton in just five months by thieves using electric drills.

Between August 24, 2015 and January 13, 2016, thieves managed to take £22,000 from parking meters around the borough by drilling holes into the pay and display machines and stealing small amounts of coins from each one.

That amounts to £155 a day.

In a council meeting on Wednesday, April 6, Councillor Michael Bull described the amount taken from parking meters as “extraordinary”.

Cabinet member for environment, cleanliness and parking, Councillor Judy Saunders, admitted she was “horrified” when she heard how much had been taken.

She said: “It is terrible and they are very effective at it as well. It is important people have choices to pay by cash.

“We are keeping a close eye on it. I was horrified when I heard about it.”

The council have now introduced “reinforcing measures” to limit access to the machines, and increased the frequency of cash collections from the parking meters.

Since the changes in mid January, no thefts have been reported from pay and display machines.

Do you think enough is being done to combat thieves? Comment below and let us know.