Cigarette thieves struggle with 150kg loot

Thieves in Melbourne found the going tough when they tried to leave the scene of a burglary with a stolen cigarette vending machine weighing up to 150 kilograms.

Victoria Police on Friday released CCTV footage showing the two men struggling to close their ute's tray before the loot was finally secured and covered with a tarpaulin.

Investigators say the vending machine had been bolted to a wall in a West Melbourne diner before the thieves broke in and stole it in late September.