Tributes were paid today to a "happy and fun-loving" nursery nurse who died a month after a crash in which her friend died.

Vicki Browne, 19, lost both legs in the accident and won the admiration of hospital staff for her four-week struggle for life.

The crash happened in Hove on October 12.

Vicki, who lived with her family in the Elm Grove area of Brighton, worked at Teddybears Day Nursery in Glebe Villas, Hove.

Sue Thomas, nursery owner and manager, said: "Vicki was loved by the children. She was always happy, lively and full of fun.

"She worked here for 18 months and was very popular with staff, parents and the children. We are all shocked.

"Vicki will be very sadly missed by everyone and all our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends."

Vicki was a passenger in a Ford Mondeo which crashed in Portland Road.

Flo McCabe, 21, from Shoreham, died at the scene.

A third nursery nurse, Rebecca Fish, from Hove, lost one leg and suffered a shoulder injury. She is recovering at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

Rebecca has been working for the past two years at Young Sussex Nursery in Portland Road.

Nursery manager Veronica Sullivan said: "We are all shocked and saddened by Vicki's death."

The friends were on their way home from a night out when the crash happened at 11pm.

More than 150 people attended Flo's funeral at St Theresa's Roman Catholic Church in Southwick last month.

Flo worked at Young Sussex Nursery until she moved recently to the Acorn Nursery at Southlands Hospital in Shoreham.

A 21-year-old barman has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving and is due to appear at Lewes Crown Court on January 9.