An ambulance was stolen outside a house where paramedics were treating a woman suffering chest pains.

The medical crew brought the patient out in a wheelchair to take her to hospital, when they discovered the vehicle had been taken in the evening of New Year's Day.

A second ambulance had to be summoned to the address in The Avenue, Goring, Worthing, and the woman, in her 50s, was taken to Worthing Hospital.

Her condition was not immediately life-threatening and she was later discharged.

The stolen ambulance, fitted with satellite navigation equipment, was tracked by ambulance control who guided police to the vehicle.

Officers stopped it in East Worthing and the driver was subsequently arrested.

A man, 24, will appear before Worthing magistrates next Wednesday, January 8.

The ambulance was stopped with its engine running when it was stolen.

Trevor Anderson, operations director for the Sussex Ambulance Service, said ambulances were exempted from the Highway Code so they can keep engines and equipment running and ready for action when a patient needs to be taken to hospital.

He said: "It was very fortunate on this occasion that there was no real life-threatening consequences but this could have resulted in someone losing their life.

"In addition, having to send a second vehicle meant that ambulance was not available for another potentially life-threatening call.

"The stolen ambulance and it's equipment were undamaged but I don't really care about that."