POLICE arrested a man for stealing a vehicle and drink-driving this morning following a crash near Stanton House Hotel in a which a car ended up in a hedge.

A silver Ford Focus swerved off the road shortly before 11am and witnesses saw two men fleeing from the scene, one of whom was described as being of medium build and wearing a pink hoodie.

Several minutes later police officers located two men in the lay-by near to the entrance of the hotel.

One man, a 33-year-old, from Swindon, was arrested on suspicion of taking a vehicle without the owner's consent, and driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. He is currently in custody at Gablecross police station.

Shortly after the accident, the car was said to be smoking andleaking fluid in the road. It remained in the bushes for just over an hour before it was taken by a recovery vehicle.

A road-sign was also knocked down during the incident.

A police cordon was put in place to control traffic but despite being a narrow lane, the road was not closed.