GANG members who stole more than £145,000 in cash machine raids have been jailed for 53 years between them.

Ermias Fekade, Stephen Fahri and Joel Spears blew up four cashpoints around Sussex from January to March last year.

They caused “substantial damages” to small businesses in Shoreham, Saltdean, Bexhill and Hurstpierpoint by committing the crimes.

Fekade, of Moyne Close, Hove and Fahri, of Mayfield Crescent, Brighton, both 36, wore balaclavas and used high-powered stolen cars with stolen registration plates to get away with 31-year-old Spears.

Gas cylinders, electrical wire and a sledgehammer were found in a falsely registered Ford Mondeo estate in Poynings.

But detectives linked the three men through CCTV, mobile phone records and forensic evidence.

Their crime spree was brought to an end on April 20, though, when they were arrested by after attempting to explode a machine inside a post office in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

They stole £148,250 from the cashpoints they targeted.

The damage caused by the explosions at eight businesses across Sussex, London, Surrey and Kent totalled £150,466.

Fekade and Spears were both found guilty of conspiracy to cause explosions and steal after a six-week trial at Croydon Crown Court last month.

They were sentenced, along with Fahri, who had previously pleaded not guilty to the crime, at the same court on Wednesday.

Spears was given 20 years in prison, Fahri 17 years, and Fekade was handed 16 years behind bars.

Detective Inspector Vicki Tomlinson, of Sussex Police investigations, said: “The defendants targeted small Sussex towns and villages, causing substantial loss to local businesses, in addition to disruption and concern for the local communities.

“Through our evidence gathering and close working relationship with the Metropolitan Police, we are pleased with the hefty sentences quite rightly imposed on these men.”

These are the locations the men struck in 2017:

Bexhill Train Station, January 31: £5,000 stolen.

Esso, Bromley Road, Bromley, February 2: £23k was stolen.

Esso Lent Rise Service Station, Lent Rise Road, Burnham, February 10: £10,000 was stolen.

Texaco, Dovers Green Road, Reigate, Surrey, February 21: £440 stolen.

Post Office, Longridge Avenue, Saltdean on February 28: £33k stolen.

Post Office, Mansell Road, Shoreham, March 3: £20k stolen.

Post Office, High Street, Hurstpierpoint, March 23: £54k stolen.

Post Office, London Road, Tunbridge Wells, April 20: Attempt made to blow up cash machine.