ARMED response officers stopped a Mercedes in Highworth and later arrested the fleeing driver.

Officers and a police dog searched the vehicle on the High Street at 2pm on Saturday after the driver ran off, finding class A and B drugs hidden in its lining.

On Sunday, they visited the driver's home address in the town and arrested him on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A and B drugs.

The man in his 30s has since been interviewed at Gablecross police station and released under investigation while forensic enquiries are completed.

Further searches of the address and a second vehicle led to more drugs being seized.

PC Sean Williams said: “This arrest was made as a result of community intelligence, combined with extensive enquiries conducted by neighbourhood police officers, working in collaboration with specialist officers from armed response, traffic and the dog unit to locate the individual.

“The drugs that we seized were all prepared ready to be sold on to vulnerable drug users within our community. I’m pleased that we’ve been able to intercept and prevent these drugs from reaching the hands of these vulnerable individuals.

“Illegal drugs can really impact negatively on a community – drug supply is often associated with violence, weapons and anti social behaviour and we are determined to tackle the issue. We would continue to urge residents to report their concerns so that arrests such as this can be made.”

To report illegal drug activity, call 101.