FIVE people have been charged following a spate of robberies in the County Durham area.

On December 8 last year, two masked men, one armed with a shotgun, raided the post office in Front Street, Wingate, County Durham, escaping with 1,700 and giro cheques.

On December 23, two masked men, one again armed with a shotgun, fled empty-handed from Trimdon Station post office, in County Durham, after the manageress hit a panic alarm.

A third raid took place in Elwick Village, Hartlepool, on January 26 when two masked men threatened the postmaster and escaped with 2,000 and a small quantity of foreign currency.

Last night, a spokesman for the Durham constabulary said following arrests made by officers from County Durham, Northumbria and Merseyside on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week a variety of charges had now been levelled against those held.

A 40-year-old man from Liverpool and a 37-year-old man from Seaham, County Durham have been charged with conspiracy to commit robberies; conspiracy to produce cannabis and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

A 17-year-old male, from Seaham, County Durham, has been charged with conspiracy to commit robberies.

A 39-year-old man, from Jarrow, Tyne and Wear, has been charged with conspiracy to commit robberies and conspiracy to produce cannabis.

A 61-year-old woman, from Seaham, County Durham, has been charged with conspiracy to produce cannabis.

All will appear at Peterlee Magistrates Court on Saturday.