RESIDENTS of Victoria Road in Devizes have expressed relief that a camper van, allegedly being used to deal in illegal drugs, has been impounded by police.

Local people have been complaining for the last two or three months about the presence of the two-tone brown camper van that often parks along the road, sometimes in front of old people's almshouses.

Victoria Road resident Jim Pugh said: "The van will pull up, one of them gets out and the van drives off. On other occasions the van sits there and various people come up to it. It doesn't take a genius to work out what they are up to.

"This causes distress to older people who are frightened to go out while these people are hanging around and to young families living in the street, who fear for the welfare of their children."

Another resident told the Gazette that the van driver and his visitors make little attempt to hide what they are up to. She said: "You could smell it as you walked past."

Police have been investigating the complaints for some weeks and waited until Tuesday to step in and impound the camper van.

Inspector Pete Bowerbank of Devizes police said that drugs tests had been carried out on the van but had proved negative. No charges have been laid as a result of their action and the owner was due to collect the van from a site in Pewsey.