Police are on standby in case trouble breaks out at the funeral of a teenage car crash victim.

The family of 17-year-old Matt Sadler have banned his friends from the memorial service.

They are keeping the location and date of the funeral a secret to prevent uninvited people attending.

Matt, of Whitehawk Way, Brighton, died on February 8 when the red Mazda he was in smashed through a garden wall in Wilson Avenue, Whitehawk.

The other four occupants of the vehicle were taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

The car was seen driving erratically and police signalled for it pull over before pursuing it.

But the driver did not stop and the car crashed.

His mother, Marie Sadler, believes she is the target of a hate campaign by some people in Whitehawk.

Matt's sister Lesley Stringer, 38, said: "We are not announcing the time, date or venue because we only want family turning up. People need to respect the fact that it is a funeral for the family only.

"It is a shame we cannot allow his friends to come because he was very popular.

"But there are some who aren't welcome and I don't want them to tarnish my mother's memory of Matt's funeral.

"It doesn't matter if they want to go to the funeral or not, we are running a guest list and the people who aren't on it aren't coming in. But the good news is the police have said the investigation is going really well and they are making good progress."

The Argus has been invited to the memorial service.

Following the crash, Chelsea Barnes and Amy Fitzsimmons, both 15, and Michael Morden, 16, were released from hospital with minor injuries.

Simon Piercy, 16, remains in a serious condition. Friends say he has a broken leg and ribs, bleeding on the brain and kidney and liver damage but is improving.

Bilal Boulaich, of Haybourne Road in Whitehawk, escaped injury after getting out of the front seat of the car in Meadowview.

Michael Morden, also of Haybourne Road, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

He has not been charged and has been released on police bail until March 31.

A Sussex Police spokesman said police will be on standby on the date of the funeral.