An audacious thief managed to sneak into a police station and then made off with an officer's car.

The offender got past a coded entry system and into the staff locker room at Arundel police station, in The Causeway, Arundel, before rifling through bags, coats and other clothes before finding a set of car keys.

The thief then got into the vehicle car park compound at the back of the police station before making off with the on-duty officer's Fiat Bravo.

The crime was only discovered once the officer, a PC, realised his car was missing.

The vehicle has now been recovered and a 25-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of stealing. He has been released on bailed while inquiries continue.

But Sussex Police has launched an investigation to find out how the man made his way past the security gate and managed to steal the car.

A source close to the police station said: "It's embarrassing. Stations are meant to be secure."

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "We confirm there was a break in at Arundel station.

"An officer had his car stolen from around the back of the compound and as a result of enquiries a 25-year-old man was arrested and subsequently bailed.

"There is an investigation on-going. We think the offender may have had keys to get in but there are various lines of thought at the moment."

It is understood CCTV images are now being examined by officers to work out what happened.

The police station is less busy than many of the others in Sussex but is still well staffed.

Sussex Police would not tell The Argus exactly when the car was stolen, only saying the incident happened last week.