Two men have been arrested with the assistance of the Police Scotland Dog Branch following reports of suspicious behaviour in Irvine.

At around 11.20pm on Thursday, June 6 police received reports of two men allegedly acting suspiciously in the area of John Galt Crescent, Irvine.

One of the men was reportedly in possession of a weapon.

Police attended immediately and while conducting a search of the local area the men were allegedly seen within a garden of a property in Tollerton Drive, Irvine before running off on seeing police.

The men, aged 26 and 27, were pursued by officers and Police Dog Kai before being arrested for offences including alleged possession of an offensive weapon, being found in circumstances where it could reasonably inferred they intended to commit theft and alleged threatening/abusive behaviour.

Both were held in police custody to appear at Court.

Sergeant Jason Peter, of the Irvine Locality Policing Team, said: "We would like to thank all those who assisted with this enquiry. The timeous reporting of suspicious activity enables officers to respond and increases the chances of us tracing those involved.

"The deployment of the national Police Scotland Dog Branch to assist response officers at this incident demonstrates our commitment to use everything at our disposal to tackle crime in the area."

Residents are encouraged to regularly review their security and check the latest crime prevention advice on the 'Keep Safe' pages of the Police Scotland website at www.scotland.police.uk

Anyone with information on crime in their community is encouraged to contact police by calling 101 (in an emergency always dial 999). Information on those involved in crime can be passed via the independent charity CrimeStoppers by calling 0800 555 111 where anonymity can be maintained.