Other prostitutes are expected at the funeral of a woman who earnt £1,000 a day in the business.

Amanda Girling and her husband, found dead in their flat in Brighton, died from suspected heroin use.

Friends said Mrs Girling was one of the city's best-known prostitutes.

Kai Wacker knew her for 15 years. He said: "She was a fantastic and beautiful woman, one of the best friends anyone could have.

"Her death is a great tragedy."

Mrs Girling, 34, and her husband John, 51, were discovered at their flat at Mitre House, Western Road, Brighton, on Sunday.

Their bodies had been there for up to ten days.

Police are treating the deaths as suspicious but Mrs Girling and her husband were known to take drugs.

Mr Wacker, a 39-year-old IT manager, met Mrs Girling when he worked in a Brighton pub.

He said there was a history of domestic violence and she would sometimes phone him in the early hours to discuss her problems.

He said: "She would get in bad moods and row but she loved John dearly and would always go back to him."

Mr Wacker was aware of her lifestyle and said: "She made a fortune from it and spent it all on John.

"I would be round for a coffee and I'd be answering phone calls from clients.

"She had many regular customers - some had known her for years - and she could make £1,000 a day.

"She loved sex and loved earning from it.

"She and John had bought the flat at Mitre House and she previously had a flat in Sussex Heights and another in The Drive in Hove.

"John once did voice-overs for the BBC and some acting but he mainly lived off her earnings."

Mr Wacker said Mrs Girling read a great deal and wanted to get into acting.

"I knew she used heroin and was sure she had come off it. But she liked meeting new friends and dealers who offer freebies."

Mr Wacker said she was well known among prostitutes in Brighton and Hove.

He said: "Many will be there for her funeral. She is sadly missed."

Mrs Girling's son, Simon Peachey, 18, a mechanic who lives in Bognor, said: "Mum was a very kind and caring person. She would help anyone at a moment's notice."

Police are still awaiting the results of tests to determine the cause of the deaths. No funeral arrangements have yet been made.