Three teenagers were arrested after a double-decker bus was stolen and taken for a joyride in the Devon town of Dartmouth, police said.
The Stagecoach bus was reportedly taken from a leisure centre and abandoned in a car park opposite.
Officers from Devon and Cornwall Police apprehended three teenagers, aged 13 and 14, in a nearby field after they allegedly fled the scene.
They were arrested on suspicion of aggravated vehicle taking, before being released and taken home.
Officers said the three suspects would "attend a police station for a voluntary attendance interview in due course".
The force also appealed for witnesses or anyone with information about the incident to come forward.
Locals wondered how thieves gained access to the bus and were able to drive it.
"Why was the bus unlocked? And where did they get the keys?," one Facebook user asked.
Another was one of many Dartmouth residents to accuse a lack of local officers in the town for the incident.
"This is the direct result of not enough policing in the town," they said.
Stagecoach could not be reached for comment.
