Three men were arrested and locked up in police cells for seven hours after "stealing" seaweed from a beach to feed pet tortoises.

Friends Simon Braisby, Tony Sims and Deon Marshall were gathering sea kale on Eastbourne beach for Mr Sims' five tortoises when they were spotted by police.

Two squad cars and a police motorcyclist tailed the trio for three miles.

They were arrested, handcuffed and put in the back of different police cars, then locked up in separate cells while Mr Braisby's home was searched.

After six hours in custody the men were interviewed and eventually released without charge.

They have lodged an official complaint.

Father of two Mr Braisby, 30, said: "When we got to our house the police swooped on us. There were at least 15 of them - they just kept coming.

"At first when they opened the boot of the car we fell about laughing. We thought they must have got the wrong people and mixed us up with bank robbers.

"It wasn't so funny in the cells - they were filthy and the food was disgusting. Our solicitor brought us pies and pasties, which was the first food we'd had in seven hours. At one point I was told we might be there overnight."

Mr Sims, 26, lives with brother-in-law Mr Braisby in Brodrick Road, Eastbourne, with his five tortoises, Frederick, Abigail, Merry, Thomas and Charlie, as well as bearded dragons and iguanas.

He said: "We were just driving down and at first there was a police motorcyclist who waved us over.

"Then there two cars and behind them another five. They boxed us in and Simon had to climb out over the passenger side. When we got out there was a crowd of coppers.

"When they told us we were all under arrest we just started laughing. We thought they must have the wrong people.

"They didn't see the funny side of it, though. I thought they would deal with it at the side of the road but they took us to the station."

Mr Sims said he picked a couple of bags of seaweed every week as his pets like an organic diet.

He said: "We are still going to pick it because no one at any time told us we weren't allowed to or it was against the law."

But Eastbourne Borough Council insists the seaweed is "rare fauna" and is backing the police stance.

Mike Thompson, Eastbourne's culture spokesman on Eastbourne Borough Council, said: "It is protected because it is quite a rare fauna of sea cabbage.

"It's part of the Sovereign nature park.

"There is a sign up saying you shouldn't pick seaweed. We have to preserve it but I'm quite surprised the police shot in like that."

A spokesman for Sussex Police said they were unable to comment as a complaint had been lodged and was being investigated.