Three people have been arrested in south London after a bike was stolen from Preston Park, Brighton.
The bike was placed in a van in Stanford Avenue, near the park, at 9.15pm on Thursday (25 January) by thieves who then drove up the A23 towards London.
Officers followed the vehicle and it was eventually stopped in Mitcham.
A 51-year-old man, a 24-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy were all arrested on suspicion of theft.
They have been released under investigation.
Inspector Paul Ransome said: “We are continuing to target bike thieves with Operation Ensnare. Even though these suspected thieves left Sussex, we were still able to pursue them and arrest them.”
Anyone with information about bike thefts in Brighton and Hove should contact police online or call 101 quoting Operation Ensnare. If you see a crime in action dial 999.