A couple were stunned after being told police would not investigate a crash after a motorist ploughed into their car and drove off without stopping.

Orthopedic surgeon Ellen Kramer-Hermann and her husband Franz were even more upset when they reported the registration number of the suspect, only to be told police would not be taking the matter further.

The couple's BMW was parked outside their home when a driver ploughed into the front, leaving it unfit to drive.

The incident has caused huge disruption to Mrs Kramer-Hermann's work commitments at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, where she was on call.

The smash happened while the car was parked in Greenbank Avenue, Saltdean, before Christmas.

Mr Hermann was at home when a neighbour called to say he had spotted a BMW plough into his wife's BMW before driving off. The vehicle which collided with hers appeared not to have any lights on.

Shortly after reporting the incident to police, the couple received information suggesting the address and registration of a possible suspect.

Mr Hermann called police and gave them the information, thinking they would investigate but was told they would not. He said: "It's really frustrating that someone can get away with this."

Mr Hermann was so angry he wrote to the Chief Constable of Sussex Police, Ken Jones, who forwarded the complaint to Chief Inspector Ian Jeffrey of Sussex Police road policing unit.

Mr Jeffrey, in a letter to Mr Hermann, said: "Officers assigned to response duties, whether they are from the local division or the road policing unit, are finite.

"With the investigation of collisions, the priority is directed to the investigation of road death and those collisions involving serious or slight injuries.

"The information you have acquired should be forwarded to your insurance company, who no doubt will make the appropriate inquiries to establish if the owner/driver of the vehicle you have identified is responsible."

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: "I don't want to minimise the damage caused to Mrs Hermann's car but our focus has to be on reducing road deaths and casualties."