A swimmer left stranded when thieves stole his car and house keys has hit out at police who were too busy to check if his home was being burgled.

Steve James had taken his daughters to The Triangle leisure centre in Burgess Hill as a half-term treat.

While his wife Sue went to an exercise class, he went swimming with Sophie, ten, and Katie, five.

But when Mr James, from Worthing, returned to the locker, he found it open with the lock knocked out. Thieves had taken everything, including the family's clothes.

Mr James remembered his car keys had also been in the locker and raced out to the car park in his swimming trunks.

But the silver Peugeot MPV had gone.

He then remembered his house keys had also been in the locker and phoned police.

Worried the thieves would be able to trace his address through paperwork in the car, he asked officers to drive past his house in Tarring to check it was not being burgled.

He told them he could have friends at the house in 15 minutes but until then he wanted to check the property was secure.

But he was told officers were too busy.

The family were stranded until Mr James' brother-in-law collected them. Luckily their house was intact when they got home.

Mr James, who runs Castle Home Fencing in Worthing, believes the locker was the only one broken into and thinks the family were targeted as they entered the car park.

Mr James praised Triangle staff, saying they were sympathetic and kind. Sophie and Katie were given burger and chips while staff found clothes for the family.

But Mr James was unhappy with the way the theft was handled by Mid Sussex District Council, which runs The Triangle.

He said: "The council told me it had no liability, yet it was providing a service for the public. It said everything was left in lockers at the user's own risk.

"Anyone can walk into the locker area."

A police spokesman said: "The call was not an 'emergency' call and therefore the operator could not guarantee a resource being available to attend the house in the short period prior to Mr James' friends arriving."

Gill Lake, general manager, said: "It is highly regrettable this theft occurred. We do have disclaimer notices in all of our leisure centres, alerting people to this risk."