SUSPECTED burglars rammed police cars while trying to escape arrest on the A419.

Officers seized an axe, body armour, an imitation firearm, a knuckle duster, cash and several mobile phones from a Volkswagen Passat after arresting three men in the wake of an aggravated burglary.

Det Sgt Adrian Bray said: “This burglary was understandably a very scary experience for the victims. Through a number of enquiries conducted on Tuesday, we were able to stop a vehicle on the A419.

“Once the vehicle had been stopped, the driver rammed police vehicles on multiple occasions in a bid to escape and then refused to co-operate with officers.

“A number of items of interest were seized from inside the vehicle.

“Some of these had the potential to cause serious harm to individuals and I am pleased that we have been able to take these off the streets.”

A 37-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of a long list of offences, including possession of an imitation firearm, possession of an offensive weapon, grievous bodily harm, aggravated burglary, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving while unfit through drink or drugs, failing to provide a sample when asked by police, and criminal damage.

A 38-year-old man who was a passenger in the vehicle at the time it was stopped has been arrested on suspicion of possession of an imitation firearm, possession of an offensive weapon and possession of a class A drug.

A third man, aged 30, was arrested from an address in Swindon on Tuesday night on suspicion of aggravated burglary and assaulting a police officer.

All three suspects remain in custody at Gablecross for further questioning.

Police were first alerted to the burglary at around 3.30am on Tuesday.

Two people armed with knives had broken into a house on Sheppard Street and demanded cash from the people who lived there.

The pair then stole clothes before fleeing the scene.

While investigating the incident, Wiltshire Police stopped and searched a Volkswagen Passat on the A419 at midnight going into Wednesday morning then arrested the three people inside it.