CASH machine users have been targeted by thieves using a scam new to the North-East.

On Thursday night, a man in Stockton lost all the money in his account, and a police chief believes there will have been many more like him.

Detective Sergeant Adrian Bradley, of Stockton police, said: "The Lebanese loop, as it is known, is a relatively new device being used in this area, although it is fairly common in other parts of the country, including London.

"It seems to be carried out by people from Africa, as the name suggests."

The Lebanese loop is inserted into the card slot and traps cards inside the machine. The conmen offer to help their victim, and then watch them type in their pin number.

The device is able to read the card's magnetic strip and, armed with the pin number, the thieves can get a cash machine to issue cash from the victim's account.

At 11pm on Wednesday, two young women were directed to a cash machine in Stockton High Street by two men who police believe were foreign.

Other cash machines in the town centre had been deliberately disabled.

The men stood behind the woman as she inserted her card, but she became suspicious when the machine started making strange noises, and she called the police from her mobile phone. Both men ran off.

When the woman tried to retrieve her card, the front of the machine came apart and the device was exposed.

Police are now checking camera footage of the town centre to try to catch the culprits.

All cash machines were made safe for use yesterday.

If anyone has information about the two men, they are asked to call Stockton CID on (01642) 302234.