TWO people have been arrested at Taunton Station following the introduction of an airport-style metal detector.

The arrests were made during just two hours of operation of a knife arch metal detector, with Avon and Somerset Police working in conjunction with British Transport Police.

A 31-year-old man from Taunton who was wanted on warrant was arrested.

And a Devon woman, aged 18, was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs. She had been stopped and searched with a quantity of Class A drugs and cash located on her.

The knife arches were first introduced in May at a number of train stations across Avon and Somerset as part of the ongoing Operation Sentinel targeting crime on the railway network.

The temporary arches are set up in the entrance to train stations and are effectively metal detectors, helping officers identify if any passengers are carrying weapons.

An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said: "Members of the public are not forced to walk through the knife arch, but those who act suspiciously provide officers with an indication they may have something to hide.

"They also act as a quick alternative to stop and search and have resulted in both weapons and drugs being seized as part of arrests."