POLICE swooped on a truck in front of a shocked motorists, arresting a man and recovering two guns from his vehicle.

The dramatic scenes unfolded on the eastbound carriageway of the A66 just outside Darlington around 6.20pm tonight in what appears to have been a targeted operation by specialist officers from Durham Police.

Witnesses saw up to five marked vehicles leave Darlington Police station and head off at speed, but without lights and sirens, towards the busy dual carriageway.

Once there, they stopped a silver and blue Mitsubishi Animal pick-up truck, causing motorists heading home to stack up behind.

Officers wearing protective headgear and clothing then detained the driver, a 46-year-old man from County Durham.

A search of his vehicle revealed two firearms.

One witness, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "The truck had been stopped in the inside lane just before one of the large laybys.

"Behind there were a lot of other police. They were dressed in protective clothing and had helmets on their heads.

"There were a lot milling around, and four or five of them were escorting one man, who was handcuffed, to the police cars in the layby."

Shortly after police were sent to an address in Darlington were another man was arrested.

Det Sgt Amanda Henderson, of Durham CID, said: "The vehicle stopped was a blue and silver coloured Mitsubishi Animal. On searching this vehicle officers found two firearms.

"The occupant of the vehicle, a male aged 46 years of age, from Hartlepool, was arrested and taken to Spennymoor police office.

"As a result of the arrest, a further male, aged 49 years of age, was arrested at an address in Darlington and transported also to Spennymoor police office.

"Both males are still in police custody."