A suspected gunman has been arrested after a high-speed pursuit through villages in Wiltshire.
Armed police were deployed following reports of a male with a firearm in a field off Old Down Road, near Badminton in South Gloucestershire, shortly before 5pm on Thursday (9 October).
Around ten armed officers and a dog handler, supported by the National Police Air Service, located a suspect vehicle — a silver Mitsubishi Outlander — in the area.
The driver of the vehicle failed to stop, leading police on a high-speed chase down country roads — including through Burton and Nettleton, in Wiltshire.
The Mitsubishi, which appeared to contain two lurcher-type dogs, was abandoned in Norley Lane — close to Junction 18 of the M4.
The occupants had fled the car in two different directions across fields. Firearms officers gave chase on foot and detained two men at gunpoint, according to several eyewitnesses.
Avon and Somerset Police confirmed that a man, in his late teens and from South Wales, was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
A second man, in his early 20s and also from South Wales, was arrested on suspicion of failing to stop and dangerous driving.
“Searches were carried out by officers, but no weapon was found, and the investigation is ongoing”, the spokesperson said.
