A SUSPICIOUS car was found to contain about £15,000 worth of drugs.

The blue Vauxhall Cavalier was spotted by a member of the public after seemingly being abandoned for more than 24 hours on the Teesdale site at Thornaby, Teesside.

With a solar panel on the back parcel shelf, police suspected the car may have some sort of drug involvement so they lay in wait for the owner to return.

When a 24-year-old man eventually showed up, officers questioned him and, after opening the boot, discovered a substantial stash of illegal drugs.

They found skunk cannabis worth about £12,000 and amphetamine powder with a street value of about £3,000.

The owner was arrested and was last night being held at Stockton police station while inquiries continue.

Inspector Ray Morton, of Stockton police, said: "It's a very impressive haul. A member of the public was initially alerted by the solar panel on the back parcel shelf.

"It's not clear if it is related to the drugs found in the boot, but it did point us to something more sinister.

"Once we had the tip off we decided to keep the car under observation and wait for the owner to return.

"It had been attracting some attention and we are led to believe the car had been there for more than a day.

"It's nice that local people are taking notice of suspicious vehicles and telling us about it," he added.