POLICE took too long to arrest a suspected drug dealer in Chippenham, according to residents in the Derriads, who have been reporting anti-social behaviour for nearly a year.

Officers from Wiltshire Police’s West and North tasking team intercepted a suspected drug deal in the area and arrested a 21-year-old. He was found to have 38 wraps of cannabis, believed to be worth £710, scales, snap bags, £120 in cash and a mobile phone in his bag, on Thursday night. He has since been released under investigation.

However, residents in the area, who have been logging their concerns with Wiltshire Police and GreenSquare housing association, are unhappy about how long this action has taken.

One neighbour, who wants to remain anonymous, said: “We are all very happy to hear that this man has been arrested and although it is a positive step, this activity has gone on for far too long.

“I first reported incidents of drug dealing last summer but the police are not interested in acting upon reports.We were fed up of it.

“I accept they have limited resources, but all they needed to do was come out, sit in their cars and watch for half an hour.

“I feel like they are waiting until it gets really bad before they take any action, instead of just nipping it in the bud.”

The police, who also issued a second 21-year-old man with an adult caution for possession of cannabis, have since hit back at the criticism, calling the drugs bust a “great result”.

A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said: “We have taken a very robust approach to this individual who cannot currently be named.

“Since the beginning of December, we’ve received one intelligence report on December 8, and two reports on January 8.

“We’ve acted on this information and just a few days later we’ve seen a positive result. We cannot just act on one piece of intelligence – it’s important that we build up a strong intelligence picture and that we act at the right time. It’s really pivotal that we get the timing right, as we did in this case.

“We don’t want to give anyone involved in drug activity the chance to discard evidence.

“The drugs seized in this case will obviously be crucial if and when the case goes to court.”

GreenSquare confirmed that the 21-year-old man was not a named tenant at its property and Anna Kelly, the tenancy enforcement manager, added: “We believe that everyone has the right to live in a peaceful and safe environment. “We have a zero-tolerance approach to any tenant involved in criminal activity, including dealing drugs, or allowing anyone else to deal drugs from one of our properties.”