Eight men have been charged after a series of raids on cash machines across Scotland and England.

ATMs were targeted in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Perth, as well as six towns and cities in England between February 2015 and January 2016.

It is claimed high-powered saws were used to gain entry to shops with freestanding cash machines. In other incidents, it is alleged cash machines were blown up from the inside using pressurised gas piped in by rubber tubes.

Merseyside Police officers carried out a series of dawn raids in St Helens, Huyton, Wavertree, and Prescot on Tuesday morning with the help of Police Scotland.

Following the raids, eight men were charged with conspiracy to cause an explosion and conspiracy to burgle commercial premises.

They are: Andrew Michael White, 27, of Exeter Street, St Helens, Merseyside; Anthony David White, 26, of Kingswood, Huyton, Knowsley; Carl John Cavanagh, 33, of Lime Court, Huyton, Knowsley; Anthony Raymond Conroy, 29, of Ash Vale, Wavertree, Liverpool; Michael Francis Galea, 41, of Gregson Road, Prescot, Knowsley; Nanu Miah, 27, of Anderton Road, Sparbrook, Birmingham; Scott Pearson, 34, of Ena Crescent, Leigh, Greater Manchester, and Gary Andrew Carey, 39, of Barford Road, Huyton, Knowsley.

The eight men have been detained in custody and will appear before Liverpool City Magistrates Court on Thursday morning.