Four of five monkeys stolen from a zoo have been recovered by police in a dawn raid.

Staff at Drusillas near Alfriston, Polegate, have been reunited with the marmosets Calli, Cartman, Jazz and Captain Jack, after they were discovered with 14 others in Tunstall, Staffordshire, 11 days after they were taken.

A fifth monkey stolen from the zoo, seven-week-old baby Larkin, was not found and staff fear she must have died.

Police carried out raids at two addresses at 8am yesterday.

Drusillas spokeswoman Claire Peters said: "We're absolutely delighted they have been found but our joy is tinged with sadness about Larkin. It is unlikely he has survived.

"It has clearly been a real ordeal for the monkeys and we are looking forward to settling them back into the zoo where they can be looked after properly."

The zoo said it was relieved Jazz, Larkin's mother, was in reasonable health.

Staff feared she might die because she has had a bone infection and requires regular medication.

They were worried the thieves would be unable to provide Jazz and the other marmosets with the specialist care they need. Jazz's condition has not seriously deteriorated.

The guinea pig-sized monkeys were tracked down in a joint operation by Sussex and Staffordshire Police, which used microchips fitted by the zoo to locate and identify the animals.

Officers from Wealden travelled to Staffordshire on Wednesday night after a breakthrough in the investigation led to suspects being identified.

Two houses were raided and two men, both 35 and from Tunstall, were arrested on suspicion of burglary and handling stolen property.

Drusillas manager Sue Woodgate and headkeeper Clare Reed joined the officers to identify the monkeys and to care for them.

The 14 other monkeys are believed to have been stolen from zoos in Devon and Cambridgeshire earlier this year.

Mrs Peters said Geoffroys marmosets, Calli and Cartman, and silvery marmosets Jazz and Captain Jack, were in a poor condition and had lost fur because of stress.

She said they would undergo tests and would receive specialist care but were all expected to recover. They would not be on display for some time.

Mrs Peters said: "Both the support from the police and the public has been outstanding during this awful time. We owe a huge debt of gratitude."

Inspector Bob Brown, of Sussex Police, said: "Luckily the marmosets from Drusillas have been found only 11 days after they were taken."

Thieves smashed their way into the zoo and stole the monkeys from their nesting boxes on Sunday, June 18.