A SUSPECTED drug dealer sparked two police chases as he tried to evade capture.

Traffic officers tried to stop a black Mercedes in Ferry Road, Canvey, at about 10am on Tuesday but it sped off.

Police searched streets nearby, before discovering the car abandoned in a boatyard.

The driver appeared to have fled the scene.

PC Ian Risden, a neighbourhood constable in the Castle Point and Rochford policing team, said information gathered by officers suggested that the car belonged to a suspected drug dealer.

He said: “We went down to the boatyard and found the vehicle abandoned.

“It had no registered keeper and was seized by police.

“Whilst all this was going on, we had received intelligence that this car was being used by a very active drug dealer in the community.

“We managed to link the car to him and disrupted his drug activity for that morning at least.”

The suspected drug dealer caught the police’s attention later that same day when an officer patrolling the island saw him getting into another car.

It was seen making its way off from Thorney Bay.

Information about the grey Hyundai was circulated among officers, who were tasked to keep an eye out for it.

It was spotted in Benfleet at about 4pm.

Mr Risden added: “All of the units were notified about the car and there was a lot of police activity on the island as police were looking about and waiting for it.

“The vehicle was then seen in the Benfleet area after it activated an automatic number plate recognition camera coming off Ferry Road.”

A police pursuit was launched, but it was soon cancelled because of how busy the roads were at that time of day.

Officers managed to find the car abandoned in Florence Close, Benfleet.

It had crashed into a parked car as it came to a stop.

Both vehicles were seized so forensics teams could search them for fingerprints.

So far, no arrests have been made and enquiries are continuing.

Anyone with information about the driver of the cars and his whereabouts can call Essex Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.