Six men charged over cash machine raids

The investigation involves more than 40 attacks on cash machines

Six men have been charged with attacks on cash machines across the UK.

Hundreds of officers from seven forces across the Midlands, East and Scotland took part in a series of raids on Wednesday.

Among items seized were stolen cars, high-value vehicles and motorhomes, large amounts of cash, offensive weapons and two imitation firearms.

Five men from Leicestershire and one from Lincolnshire have been charged with conspiracy to steal.

High-powered vehicles

Officers have been investigating more than 40 attacks on cash machines across England, Wales and Scotland.

The total worth of cash stolen, along with the cost of damage to buildings, amounted to hundreds of thousands of pounds, police said.

Dozens of thefts of high-powered vehicles, allegedly used to commit the attacks or to flee the scene and worth similar sums, were also linked to the case.

Led by the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU), addresses were raided in Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Nottinghamshire, Scotland and the West Midlands.

The six men have also been charged with conspiracy to burgle other than a dwelling between 15 March 2021 and 16 November 2022.

• Patrick Gilheaney, aged 32, of Griggs Road in Loughborough, Leicestershire

• John Smith, aged 31, of Evergreen Close in Spalding, Lincolnshire

• Christopher Casey, aged 25, of Mere Lane in Ullesthorpe, Leicestershire

• Tali Smith, aged 32, Alfie Boswell, aged 31, and William Boswell, aged 22, all of the Bagworth area in Leicestershire.

A further man, aged 66, was detained in Cumbria on Thursday 17 November.

He has been bailed along with a further 10 men and six women arrested as part of the investigation.

The exact locations of the attacks have been withheld due to ongoing investigations, police said.