A memorial to members of a wartime bomber crew who gave their lives to save others has been unveiled.

Relatives of the seven airmen travelled from Cardiff and Lincoln to Worthing to attend the ceremony on the town's pier.

They were joined by ageing veterans of 49 Squadron, which flew Lancaster bombers on raids over Germany during the Second World War.

Worthing Mayor Eric Mardell lifted an RAF flag to reveal the stainless steel plaque recording the date of December 17, 1944.

On that day, shortly after dusk, the crew's damaged Lancaster, laden with 90,000lb of high explosives, skimmed rooftops in the town.

People in the Plaza Cinema in Rowlands Road heard the roar of its engines as the plane passed overhead.

Seconds later, it crashed in flames on the beach opposite Heene Terrace.

The explosion shattered hundreds of windows on the seafront and Montague Street was showered with shards of glass.

No civilians were hurt but the crew died instantly. Only one body was recovered.

Had the plane crashed on the town, it would have wiped out a large part of West Worthing, almost certainly resulting in hundreds of deaths.

Historians believe the pilot, Flying Officer Edward Essenhigh, fought desperately to stop his doomed aircraft plunging into houses.

He tried to land the Lancaster on the beach but it probably hit an obstruction and exploded.

The crew has been honoured before by the town, when newly-built streets in West Durrington were named after the victims: Mr Essenhigh, flight engineer Harry Varey, wireless operator Fred Rees, bomb aimer Andrew Thomson, mid-upper gunner James Moore, navigator Len Bourne and rear gunner Gordon Callon.

The £275 plaque was paid for by the Worthing Combined Ex-Services Association and the 49 Squadron Association, whose chairman, Leslie Hay, a former pilot, laid a wreath inscribed with the tribute: "We will never forget the 49ers."

Ken Rees, 73, brother of Fred, travelled from Cardiff with his wife Dulcie for the ceremony.

Ken was 16 when Fred was killed and only learned the full details surrounding his death three years ago.

Bill Gowland, from Waddington, Lincoln, cousin of Andrew Thomson, also attended.

The youngest people at the unveiling were Jonathan and Deborah Black, eight and six, who live in Moore Close, West Durrington, which was named after Mr Moore.

They were brought to the pier by their parents Christine and Steve, who plan to teach children on the Barleyfields estate who their streets were named after.

Members of Worthing Air Training Corps were among a crowd of about 50 people who turned out on a bitterly cold day.

The Lancaster had taken off from Fulbeck in Lincolnshire for a raid on Munich in Germany.

Tom Gatfield, secretary of the 49 Squadron Association, took part in the raid and believes the plane was probably attacked by an enemy fighter.