Detective Inspector Peter Harriss said a thief or thieves attempted to blow up the Commonwealth Bank teller machine about 4am.

``A loud explosion occurred just before 4am, drawing the attention of members of the public, who notified police,'' he said at the Elphin Road site this morning.

Police were at the scene within minutes, however those responsible had already fled.

CLICK HERE FOR NEIL RICHARDSON'S IMAGE GALLERY

``Polic e initially maintained a safe distance for their safety and the safety of members of the public until the area was declared to be safe for examination,'' he said.

Detective Senior Constable Darren Turner said the explosion caused a significant amount of damage to both the machine and the shopfront of the Newstead Capital Chemist, but no members of the public were injured.

It is unknown if those responsible were injured in the blast.

It is believed the machine's safe remained intact, leaving the would-be thieves empty-handed - however police would not confirm this.

Detectives are conducting a briefing this morning before returning to the site to continue their investigation.

Uniformed police will remain at the scene throughout the day.

Traffic is flowing through the area however motorists are urged to exercise caution when approaching the site, between Kenyon and David Streets.

Anyone with any information about the blast is urged to contact Launceston CIB on 6336 3701, or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.