FIVE men have been charged by police and are set to appear in court over conspiracy to blackmail businesses in South Gloucestershire and Bristol and drug offences.

Andrew Baker, 52, of Stoke Gifford, and Adam Hoddinott, 47, of The Circle, Bath, have both been charged with three counts of conspiracy to blackmail and two counts of conspiracy to supply cocain and ecstasy.

Meanwhile, Matthew Sellars, 39, of Kingswood, has been charged with one count of conspiracy to blackmail and two counts of conspiracy to supply cocaine and ecstasy, Andrew Wylde, 50, of Wotton-under-Edge, has been charged with two counts of conspiracy to blackmail and Matthew Newman, 32, of Temple Cloud, Bristol, has been charged with one count of conspiracy to blackmail.

All are in custody pending court hearings, with the exception of Newman, who is on conditional bail to appear at Bristol Crown Court on March 28.

Hoddinott and Sellars will appear at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on March 21 and the remaining two will next appear at Bristol Crown Court on March 28. 

Anyone who might have information relating to the inquiry are asked to call 101 immediately and give the call handler the reference number 5217114502.