Parked on the main road between Brighton and Hove in defiance of the city's zero-tolerance Parking regime, it was never going to go unnoticed.

But shoppers and traders watched with astonishment as the weeks went by and the F-reg Peugeot remained untouched by the efficient team of parking attendants.

This was despite the fact it was untaxed, on a yellow line and at an angle to the pavement on Western Road near Hampton Place.

The Argus can reveal the car was at the centre of a four-week police operation and was being watched by detectives investigating a crime.

The outcome of the operation remains confidential but the car has been finally towed away, ending weeks of speculation.

Douglas Gentle, of Montpelier Road, said: "I first noticed the car on New Year's Day and thought it was parked in a silly position. I thought it was a shopper chancing their luck.

"The car stayed there for at least two weeks without getting a ticket. Each time I passed it I was surprised it had not been towed away."

Steve Percy, of the People's Parking Protest, said: " When you consider the number of challengeable tickets issued, I find it amazing nobody placed a ticket on this car, but we now know the reason.

" It seems if you want to avoid getting a parking ticket in the centre of Brighton and Hove, you have to make sure your vehicle has been involved in a serious crime."

A spokeswoman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: "The car was involved in a crime and police requested that it should be left while inquiries were carried out. That has now been completed and the car is being towed away."

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: "The occupants were helping police with their inquiries. The police officer in charge of the case specifically asked traffic wardens not to ticket the car and for it to remain where it was parked while investigations were completed, which they now have been."