Fifteen people were arrested in Horsham this morning on suspicion of stealing cars or trying to break into them.
The first arrests came at 4am after an emergency call from a member of the public who reported three people trying to steal a Mazda sports car from a car park off Queen Street.
More suspects - teenagers from Brighton - were taken into custody over the next hour.
Sgt Ian Barnes of Horsham police praised the person who sounded the alarm.
He said: "It shows how effective a 999 call can be if you pick up the phone when you see a crime in progress."
He is asking anyone in the town whose vehicle has been damaged or tampered with to get in touch on 0845 6070999.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article