Suspected bank robbers were dragged out of bed and arrested as police busted into their homes.

Officers detained five men in their 30s believed to have played a part in strikes at a Great Sutton post office and banks in Neston .

A circular saw and a battering ram were used to bust in at addresses in Liverpool on Thursday morning (November 26).

The gang are thought to have stolen £1.5m in 22 robberies across Merseyside and Cheshire over a seven-year period.

Cheshire Constabulary investigation leader DS Rob Grantham said: “This is a great example of collaboration targeting serious cross-border crime.

“Around 20 officers from Cheshire accompanied Merseyside on the early-morning raids and they are now assisting in the search and interview phases.

“We hope this action sends out a strong message robbery is a crime we take extremely seriously, we devote all the resources we can to tackling the issue.

“It is also not a victimless crime and the impact can be devastating and far reaching.”

The arrests were the culmination of a 12-month operation between Cheshire and Merseyside Police focusing on robbery suspects and they joined forces to execute the warrants.

High street banks and post officers were targeted across Liverpool, Warrington and Wirral between 2008 and 2013.

A pair of hammer-wielding masked man raided a post office in Great Sutton in May 2013 as the spree extended to Cheshire.

A further two banks in Neston were hit between 2013 and 2015, as well as six across Liverpool, Sefton and St Helens.

On several occasions the robbers forced their way in through the roof.

No staff were ever injured, but some were threatened and left ‘deeply affected.’

Sefton CID detective inspector Mike Dalton said: “Those responsible for this type of crime care little for the local people they harm or traumatise.

“It could be the staff simply doing their job or customers who inadvertently get caught up in the incident.

“Today’s arrests have only been made possible by the strenuous efforts by investigation teams and every person arrested this morning will now be interviewed about the offences we suspect them of.”