A Hove jeweller aided by two members of the public chased two thieves for more than an hour through the streets and gardens of Hove yesterday lunchtime.
Simon Cooper, of Coopers Jewellers in George Street, was joined by Robert Nemeth and a mystery driver who searched the neighbourhood for 90 minutes in search of the pair who had snatched a chain worth up to £600.
Two men were later arrested by Brighton and Hove police, but the chain has not yet been recovered.
Mr Cooper said he was still aching after yesterday’s pursuit, and was now trying to track down the young woman who had offered the use of her car to thank her.
He said: “We caught them up a couple of times and tried to restrain them, but they were young lads and quite fit, so they got away.
“A young girl let us get into her car and she was driving us around too.
“It was quite a fracas – one of them had a crowbar, but fortunately none of us were hurt.
“I’m pretty knackered today – I feel like I have done a marathon.”
“I’d love to find the girl in the car – she was driving a white car, something like a Toyota Yaris. She was great, she kept really calm and I’d love to thank her.”
The theft happened when Mr Cooper’s twin daughters Sophie and Lucy were downstairs in the shop and Mr Cooper was upstairs.
The thieves asked to see a chain in the window display, and as Sophie showed it to them, they snatched it and ran out of the shop.
Sophie pushed the panic button and Mr Cooper came downstairs and chased them down George Street.
Robert Nemeth, who is standing in the local elections as the Conservative candidate for Wish ward, saw him in pursuit and joined in.
He said: “This guy ran past me and I assumed they were running for the bus and it wasn’t until I heard the alarm and saw Simon in the distance that I realised what had happened.
“I’m aching today – we did have to climb over high walls and help each other over, just like in the films.
“The guys kept hiding in nooks and crannies.”
A police spokesman said: “At 12.20pm on Monday, 23 March, two men snatched a chain from a display at Coopers jewellers, George St Hove, and ran off, chased by the manager.
“Following an immediate police search two Brighton men aged 28 and 22 were arrested on suspicion of theft by officers in nearby Holland Road.
“Both men were questioned before being released on bail until 9 April.”
Do you know who the mystery woman driving the car was? Email brightonandhovenews@gmail.com.
They were chasing them for 90 minutes?! … and what were the police doing all this time? Urgently sitting in a car outside Dominos Pizza?