A MOTHER of three has told how she rescued her terrified children after raiders blew up a Baildon post office in a bid to rob its cash machine.

Kate Logan lives in a flat above the shop in Higher Coach Road which was targeted in the early hours of yesterday morning by a gang suspected of filling the ATM with explosive gas - then igniting it with no concern for the safety of upstairs residents.

Residents shocked by post office blast - pictures and video

The blast happened shortly before 4am, causing huge damage to the building and the whole parade of shops and flats - causing large cracks in a wall of her home above and along from the post office.

"It was just madness - there was the most massive bang which shook the place to bits," said Mrs Logan (pictured above).

"I rushed to my children's bedrooms and gathered them all up.

"My youngest, Macey-Jane who's six was so scared she was just crying and crying.

"I tried to calm them down and rang the police who came and evacuated all the flats.

"My mother lives not far away so I just grabbed all the kids' school things and we went straight up there."

Mrs Logan's partner Steve Logan tragically died from cancer 16 months ago the day before they could marry and she said it was tough enough coping without him.

"I really don't know what will happen now or even if we'll be allowed to go back and live in the flat.

"The police have told us structural engineers will have to check the whole building over before we can get in there."

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

Gas explosion attacks on ATM machines are on the increase with seven such incidents in West Yorkshire since the first occurrence in 2015.

The method has been imported from mainland Europe and involves pumping a mixture of gases into the machine.

Several previous incidents have involved too much gas being used and explosions which have caused similar damage to the raid on Baildon Post Office.

Police were first called at 3.56am to a report of someone tampering with the cash machine, said a West Yorkshire Police spokesman who confirmed that the use of gas was "a possible line of inquiry."

As officers travelled to the scene, there were further reports of a loud bang and a silver Audi being driven off towards Shipley.

The raiders escaped with a quantity of cash. Police searches have yet to find the vehicle.

One man, who did not want to be named, said he spoke to bystanders when he went to the post office to pick up his morning paper.

He said: "Apparently some people had thrown a bomb into the post office and blown the cash machine off the wall.

"The people who live in the flat above the shop arcade said that their bed went up in the air and came down with a crash due to the force of the explosion."

The explosion caused structural damage to the building and arrangements have been made to temporarily re-home people living in flats above the premises, said the police spokesman.

Part of Higher Coach Road opposite the children's playground in Roberts Park remained cordoned off yesterday afternoon.

Mother and daughter Michelle and Kelly Robinson, who live near the Post Office, said the shop was a vital part of the community. They added: "You hear about ram raids happening, but this time they've blown the place up.

"It's really shocking, nobody expects anything like this to happen."

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

Another resident, who asked not to be named, described hearing a loud bang, adding: "I thought it was an enormous clap of thunder. I was waiting for another clap and then when there wasn't one I thought it must have been an explosion."

A Post Office spokesman said: "Post Office can confirm there was an ATM robbery at Coach Road Post Office.

"The people who run our Post Office branches provide important services to local communities. Any robbery or attempted robbery is very traumatic for the victims and we will be supporting the police in their efforts to apprehend those responsible.

"Post Office would urge anyone with information to contact the police or Crimestoppers."

A spokesman for Bradford Council said: "A building control surveyor from Bradford Council inspected the damaged building in the early hours of yesterday morning and established there was no immediate danger to the public.

"Building Control later assisted in making sure that police officers were safe while they gathered evidence from the crime scene.

Further assessments of the necessary repairs to the building will be carried out by the Post Office’s own structural engineers.”

Anyone with information about the raid should contact Bradford District CID, quoting log *0116 of 29/4 on 101, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, who can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Members of the public who see any ATM that appears to have been tampered with, particularly with wires or hoses attached, are warned not to approach it and to call the police.