A gang who used explosive gas to blow up cash machines and escaped in sports cars have been jailed for a total of 92 years.

Seven men were responsible for 13 raids on ATMs around the UK, including four in Scotland.

They were convicted at Liverpool Crown Court earlier this month, bringing a two-year investigation to a close. They were sentenced in the city on Thursday.

Nanu Miah, 28, received a life sentence, while Andrew White, 28, was sentenced to 19 years in jail. Five other men received sentences between 10 and 16 years.

The gang targeted two ATMs in Aberdeen in June and August 2015 and two others in Perth and Angus in early 2016, piping explosive gas inside before igniting it with a car battery.

High-powered cars were used as getaway vehicles, along with a lorry equipped with ramps so they could be driven inside and spirited away.

The gang started planning the raids months before carrying out the first theft and picked ATMs in less populated areas to reduce their chances of being caught.

The authorities finally caught up with the gang in February 2016 and confronted them in a McDonald's car park in Angus.

When the gang tried to ram one of their vehicles into a police car, officers fired three rounds into its wheels to disable it. They also accidentally fired two shots at a car which was not involved in the raids.

Police Scotland detective superintendent Alex Dowall described the gang's crimes as "dangerous" and "crude".

"Today's sentences emphasise the seriousness of crimes of this type and recognises the impact serious and organised crime has on our communities," he said.

"The communities that were targeted by this group are safe places to live and not exposed to crimes of such a serious, dangerous and crude nature.

"The impact they had on the people who live within them cannot be underestimated and I would like to take this opportunity to thank members of the public and the communities of the north east for their assistance, support and patience throughout."