Drug dealer tried to sell to police chief

Britain's dumbest, or possibly most unlucky, drug dealer has been arrested trying to sell cannabis to Brixton's police chief.

Chief Superintendent Brian Moore was on his way home from work in Lambeth, south London, in civilian clothes, when he was approached in the street by the dealer.

The suspect failed to recognise the man as the borough's acting chief of police, who is responsible for a crackdown on cannabis selling. Chief Supt Moore, 43, is standing in for Commander Brian Paddick, who was moved from his job in March after allegations that he smoked cannabis – a claim he denies.

The senior officer had finished work on Wednesday evening and was about 50 yards from Brixton Underground station when he was approached by a man in his fifties. Chief Supt Moore recalled yesterday: "I was just walking down the street when this guy came out from behind some telephone kiosks and said 'Do you want some drugs, some weed?'

"I said no but then he stood in front of me and said it again.

"So I said 'OK' and switched into police officer mode and told him to show me. He pulled out two cellophane-wrapped balls with something dark inside them, it looked like drugs.

"I told him to hang on and got out my warrant card and told him I was a police officer.

"He had a strange look on his face – half a smile, half horror I think. Then he went to walk away and I grabbed on to his hand and got one of the wraps. We started struggling and I managed to corral him into a telephone box without a door for a minute or so but he pushed me out.

"He was trying to get the other ball in to his mouth but I prised it out of his fingers so I then had both the balls of drugs.

"A bit of a crowd had formed and I couldn't take my hands off him to use my mobile so I called out to them and they were really great.

"This lady stepped forward and took my bag, which had dropped to the floor, and looked after it for me. Then I called out, asking if anyone had called the police and a guy said he had."

After uniformed police arrived they searched the man and found a knife in his pocket. The suspect was arrested at 7.30pm and was taken to a nearby police station, where he remained in custody last night.