A gang of suspected armed robbers were arrested as a police chase ended in motorway chaos.

The two-mile pursuit, which brought the M23 to a stand still, followed the latest in a string of raids on Sussex jewellery shops.

Five men were being questioned last night after the operation ended in a car crash and a chase on foot through woodland.

The drama started at about 9.30am when four men carrying hammers and wearing balaclavas stole watches worth thousands of pounds each from W Bruford in Cornfield Road, Eastbourne.

They barged into the shop - which was targeted twice in similar raids last year - and smashed display cases to get to the haul.

Jewellers across Sussex have been plagued by smash and grab raids over the last 12 months.

The Metropolitan Police’s Flying Squad is investigating the crimes and several people have already been jailed.

Police were unable to confirm the value of the stock taken yesterday or whether any had been recovered. It is thought the culprits got away in a Volkswagen Golf car, which was found abandoned nearby, then changed cars.

At about 10.30am police spotted a black Audi car with false number plates heading north on the A23.

Both the Golf and the Audi had been reported stolen after burglaries in London - the latest on Thursday morning at 4am.

Three police cars followed the Audi onto the M23 and tried to force it to stop.

A fourth police car was behind them stopping normal traffic from getting too close.

The Audi veered onto the hard shoulder then across into the central reservation, clipping a marked four by four police car.

A silver Mercedes car heading south on the opposite carriageway was damaged by a piece of the barrier but nobody inside was hurt.

Four men got out of the Audi and ran off into woodland.

They were all caught after police chased them with dogs.

They were arrested on suspicion of robbery.

A fifth man was arrested shortly afterwards when a Ford Focus car was pulled over heading south.

All five, described as black men from London, were being questioned in custody last night.

Sussex Police issued a description of a sixth man wanted for questioning last night.

He is described to be black, in his 20s, about 5ft 10in or 5ft 11in, wearing a white T-shirt and black jeans.

He was described as slim and unkempt.

Police said he was likely to be avoiding main roads and possibly asking for directions.

The motorway crash caused long tailbacks in both directions.

Two lanes of the northbound carriageway and one southbound lane were closed until 1pm while police gathered evidence and cleared the road.

Detective Inspector James Pateman of Eastbourne CID said: "If witnesses have not spoken with the police yet we would urge them to come forward."

Chief Inspector Dick Coates, district commander of Eastbourne, said: “This is the third time the premises in Eastbourne has been targerted.

“On every occasion we have responded quickly to the call and on each occasion people have been arrested.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Sussex Police on 0845 6070999 quoting reference 477 of May 29 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

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