A French student was killed as she cycled along the A23 to join the EDO weapons protest.

Marie Vesco, who would have turned 20 next week, was pronounced dead at the scene after a collision involving two silver Ford vehicles on the southbound carriageway near the Hickstead turning at Burgess Hill yesterday.

A politics student at London Metropolitan University, Marie was a keen cyclist and was making her way from London to Brighton by bike to take part in the protest at the EDO factory.

She had been riding along the hard shoulder but was hit as she crossed an exit slip road.

Marie's boyfriend and her best friend, Ana, were cycling just yards from her and watched on as she was thrown from her bike and dragged 20 metres beneath the wheels of a car.

She collided with a car moving from the main carriageway onto a slip road before hitting another and being pinned underneath it.

Any witnesses to the accident should call Sussex Police on 0845 6070999 and quote Operation Colca.

For the full story read tomorrow's Argus.