Police in East Ayrshire have arrested 16 youths in a series of dawn raids aimed at cracking down on gangs in the region.

The teenagers are aged between 16 and 18 and were arrested in Drongan and Auchinleck.

All are in custody and will appear at Ayr Sheriff Court tomorrow.

It is understood an 18-year-old woman was also arrested on Monday in connection with the inquiry.

The operation was led by Strathclyde Police's new gang taskforce, which is trying to reduce gang violence across the force area.