POLICE have arrested a 44-year-old biker after a chase through the Wiltshire countryside at speeds in excess of 100mph.

The police helicopter took up the pursuit as ground crews held back on the grounds of safety.

But the eye in the sky kept tabs on the middle-aged speeder and he was finally arrested in Victoria Road, Devizes, on Saturday morning.

It all began when the green Kawasaki ZX600 was seen by a dog unit van doing around 100mph on the A361 towards Beckhampton.

The police vehicle followed him but the biker soon reached 130mph, turning onto the A4 at Beckhampton roundabout and doing 90mph through the 40mph limit at Cherhill.

Inspector Dean Knight at Devizes police station said: "Chases like these are very difficult and so we called the police helicopter in and let it follow the bike from the air.

"Other units were called in to help and I am going to commend five of them for their efforts in bringing the situation to a safe and satisfactory conclusion."

The biker was followed into Devizes and stopped at the address in Victoria Road, where he was arrested.

A passerby who was in Devizes town centre on Saturday morning said the police response was dramatic.

He said: "I was walking down Sidmouth Street when I noticed the police helicopter flying overhead. Within two minutes six police cars came down Southbroom Road and one did a U-turn in the middle of the road and shot up Gains Lane.

"Other police cars were coming down London Road and Nursteed Road and they were going at high speed.

"I counted about 17 police vehicles and these were 4x4s, unmarked vehicles, dog vans and marked cars.

"Then I noticed the police helicopter was above Victoria Road and because my house backs onto the road, I went there.

"I saw between 12 and 15 police vehicles and they were parked all along the road.

"I saw about 15 to 20 police officers and they surrounded a block of flats at the end of Victoria Road, front and back.

"They brought a man out of the block of flats in handcuffs and put him in a police car."

The 44-year-old rider has been released on police bail to report again on January 22.