A woman died after stepping off a station platform in front of an oncoming train yesterday afternoon.

The woman was struck by the 1.07pm train from Haywards Heath to Eastbourne as it pulled into Glynde station.

The driver had sounded his horn and put on the emergency brakes as soon as he saw the woman on the platform's edge.

But he was unable to avoid her as she stepped off the platform and lay down on the tracks, shortly after 1.30pm.

A spokesman for rail operators South Central said the electricity supply was switched off and there were delays to services.