Cocaine and a bat, as well as other potentially offensive items, were found in the car of a 23-year-old man who was arrested after driving “recklessly”, the police said on Monday.

The police said the man’s car had been identified as “suspicious” while parked on a street in the city, and that “as soon as vehicle’s driver noticed the presence of the police officers, he started to flee”.

However, they said, he was “stopped a short distance away”.

He was as such initially arrested for “reckless” driving, while a subsequent search of his car turned up around half a gram of cocaine, as well as a folding bat, a spray of what the police described as “noxious gas”, a box of anabolic steroids, two mobile phones, two sim cards, and “a sum” of cash.

Officers then searched the man’s home, and found 15 packages of cannabis weighing a combined total of around two kilograms.

He was then re-arrested for the drugs-related offences, and is expected to appear in court later on Monday.

The police’s investigation into the matter is ongoing.