Three men have been arrested by the Police Service of Northern Ireland after two ATMs were stolen from banks on the main street in Dundalk, Co Louth, overnight.

The robberies were carried out at about 3.30am on two bank branches, the AIB and Ulster Bank, on Clanbrassil Street in Dundalk.

Gardaí said they were responding to a convoy of plant machinery and other vehicles when two vehicles were set alight outside both entrances to Dundalk Garda Station to hinder the response.

The raiders were intercepted by members of the Garda Armed Support Unit but later crossed the border into Co Armagh following a pursuit.

During the pursuit a trailer containing the intact ATMs was recovered close to Forkhill, Co Armagh.

A second car was also found burned out.

Three males, two aged in their 20s and one 50s, were subsequently arrested by the PSNI at a house in the Crossmaglen area of Co Armagh.

One of the vehicles set alight outside both entrances to Dundalk Garda Station (credit: Carol Wallace) pic.twitter.com/gL7kIpZ2i5 — RTÉ News (@rtenews) April 4, 2020

Gardaí and the PSNI are working closely on the investigation.

These are the first such robberies in recent months, following a spate of ATM thefts across the region last year.