Raiders used explosives to blow open a cash machine at a post office in Baildon early today.
They struck at Coach Road Post Office in Higher Coach Road shortly before 4am causing huge damage to the building.
Police were first called at 3.56am to a report of someone tampering with the cash machine, said a West Yorkshire Police spokesman.
As officers travelled to the scene there were further reports of a loud bang and a silver Audi being driven away 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.
“Apparently some people had thrown a bomb into the post office and blown the cash machine off the wall," he said.
“The people who live in the flats 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 remained cordoned off today. The galvanised steel shutters at the front of the building have been ripped aside by the force of the explosion and the doors have been blown from the frames. There is broken glass and debris all over the road.
Mother and daughter Kelly and Michelle 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."
Another resident, who asked not to be named, described hearing an loud bang early this morning. The added: "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."
The Post Office is just yards away from Saltaire's Robert's Park, and a short distance from Titus Salt School.
A Post Office spokesman said: "Post Office can confirm there was an ATM robbery at Coach Road Post Office overnight.
"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.
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"Post Office would urge anyone with information to contact the police or Crimestoppers.”
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.
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