A PUBLIC-spirited businessman gave police a running commentary as a drunken vandal attacked shops and vehicles and threatened passers-by.

Sam Jones also helped police pin a man suspected of causing the trail of destruction to the ground until reinforcements arrived.

Mr Jones, aged 23, had just dropped a couple of friends in the centre of Taunton when he spotted a man causing a disturbance in East Street late on Sunday evening.

He said: "He was in the middle of the road, shouting, swearing, punching shop windows and cars.

"I parked my car up and rang the police. As I did so he was kicking a bike by Subway."

Mr Jones then went into the Perkin Warbeck and asked staff to radio through to the CCTV control centre in Bridgwater to keep track of the man.

He added: "I stood around by the front door of the Perkin until he started walking off, so I got back in my car and followed him until he stopped by Domino's Pizza, in East Reach.

"I called the police back and saw a police car coming up the road, so I shone my headlights on the man so officers could see him.

"I helped detain him because he resisted a bit. Two officers took him to the floor and I helped hold him down until other officers came, arrested him and took him away."

Mr Jones, from Yeovil, said the incident was "quite shocking" and "something you don't expect on a Sunday night".

He added: "I was more interested in keeping people away from him because he was mouthing off to everyone he could see.

"I thought it was the public spirited thing to do to follow him because if he'd moved out of range of the CCTV cameras, no-one would have been able to catch him.

"I thought, 'He needs to be reported to the police'.

"It could help people who've had their shop windows or vehicles damaged to get it sorted."

An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman confirmed officers were called to reports of criminal damage at 11.15pm on Sunday.

He added: "A member of the public helped officers detain a 27-year-old man who was subsequently arrested.

"We'd like to praise his bravery and thank him for his public spiritedness."

The arrested man was later released on bail until November 20.