Police in Sussex have apologised twice in as many days for failing to respond to urgent calls for help from the public.

Chief Superintendent Doug Rattray said sorry and launched an investigation after nobody was sent to deal with a suspected burglar at a Hove restaurant.

At the time, officers were dealing with a suicide attempt in Brighton and police said there was nobody available to respond.

We applauded Mr Rattray for saying they had got it wrong and for not hiding behind the excuse that police resources in the city were stretched.

Now we are told disabled pensioner Ray Holt was beaten unconscious by a bogus gas meter reader during a robbery at his Bevendean home.

Mr Holt's wife, Marilyn, returned to find him in tears from his ordeal. She called the police twice, once to report the assault and again, five hours later, when the couple discovered a jewellery box was missing.

An officer eventually turned up at the Holt's home 24 hours later.

Chief Inspector Andy Smith has apologised to the Holts and said the response to their calls should clearly have been better.

The time for apologies is over. The people of Sussex deserve better from the police service they pay for.

It is time to overhaul the system of responding to emergency calls so people like Mr Holt receive the help they need, when they need it.