Eyewitnesses today revealed how police swooped on a Shropshire village during a huge cross-county manhunt for two men suspected of stealing lorries, including one who was arrested by a member of the public.

Residents living in Morville, near Bridgnorth, told how the peace of the normally quiet village was shattered by the police operation in which two people were arrested on suspicion of stealing two lorries from Ludlow.

They said one man helped officers arrest a suspect as he attempted to escape near the Acton Arms pub.

Police officers, dog handlers and a police helicopter swarmed on the village during the operation on Tuesday night.

One resident who did not wish to be named, said he had come to see what was going on after seeing the flashing lights from his home.

He said: “I saw a chap on the floor with the police round him. They had two vans with dogs.”

The other man was eventually found in the gardens of Morville Hall.

Anne Baugh, who lives near the pub, said: “My 11-year-old son was a bit scared because we didn’t know what was going on. These things don’t happen in Morville.

“We thought it was an accident. But we saw all the dogs. It was a bit scary for Morville really.”

Flashing lights brought people from around the village to see what was happening.

Barry Jenkinson, who lives near Morville Hall, said: “The police had got the helicopter and were pinpointing the escape route that these chaps had made. We think there were two. One was picked up at the Acton Arms.

“Then they searched around the grounds here and the helicopter picked up the image and they found the other one in the garden. The police were excellent.”

Another resident who saw the arrest, added: “There were two police cars, a helicopter and two police officers and a man lying face down in the road.

“I went upstairs to look out of a bedroom window and there were lots of police, lots of flashing lights and the helicopter was overhead.”

Police said two men, in their 30s, were taken into custody at Shrewsbury where they were being questioned.

Police said the incident began when the two Leyland Daff lorries were stolen from a haulage yard in Ludlow just before 9pm.