Police are going undie-cover to trace the owners of a stash of stolen knickers.

Officers discovered the horde of 26 pairs of women's briefs when they raided the home of a teenage burglar.

So far they have been reunited four pairs of the garments with their grateful owners, but other victims of the washing line crimes have yet to come forward.

Officers are now desperately trying to track down the owners of the remaining knickers before their lost property office starts resembling a laundry basket.

A spokeswoman for Sussex police said: "We have recovered 26 pairs of knickers which have been stolen from washing lines. There are 22 pairs yet to be claimed."

To prevent embarrassment officers are refusing to release descriptions of the stolen knickers which were taken from homes around Petworth.

Instead, they are asking women who have lost their underwear to contact PC James Scott at Petworth police station on 0845 60 70 999 or email him at james.scott@sussex. police.uk A 16-year-old local boy is helping police with their inquiries.