POLICE have praised quick-thinking members of the public for helping track down a man wanted for robbery following a major pursuit through Symondsbury.

Police vans, a police community support van, police dogs and a police helicopter coming from Bournemouth were involved in the manhunt on Tuesday morning.

The drama unfolded near Miles Cross farm and below Colmer’s Hill, at around 7.30am.

It ended shortly after 10.30am with a Bridport man in his 30s being taken into police custody.

Speaking at the scene, Sergeant Darren Stanton said: “A man in his 30s was wanted by police in connection with a robbery which occurred in Bridport during the last couple of weeks.

“The man failed to appear at Dorchester Crown Court.

“He was taken into custody after the assistance of the police helicopter and members of the public.”

Police have also thanked nearby residents for their quick thinking which helped in the search.

One resident who helped police was local photographer Doug Chalk.

Mr Chalk said: “I saw several policemen from my house and began talking to one of them.

“I wanted to see if I could help. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw someone run and told the police officer to look.

“The man certainly led the police officers on a merry dance and I’m glad to see he was apprehended.”

Inspector Mike Darby, head of Bridport Police, said that the man was spotted by a policeman out on patrol on Tuesday morning.

He added that before the man was caught, he was seen by officers trying to escape across the A35.

Brian Sanders of Sweet Briar, West Road, also helped the police in their search for the man.

He said: “I noticed a lot of policemen in my field and went to find out what was happening.

“They said they were looking for somebody on a bike.

“I had my quad bike out so looked around the field.

“With my quad bike I could go through the wet streams and such, which I did.

“I searched the field for 20 minutes, the police helicopter was in the air and I saw the man in the bushes with his bicycle.

“I walked back into the field and flagged the helicopter down and it landed, but by this time he’d moved on but he’d left his bike there so they retrieved it.

“Everyone just carried on looking and police then caught him across the main A35 on the other side of the road about an hour later.”