The family of a man who died after being run over by a street-cleaning truck has released a photograph of him so he will be remembered.

Stephane Aineto, 28, of Upper Lewes Road, has been out with friends in Brighton on July 29 last year.

He was walking alone in East Street when he was run over by a seven-and-a-half tonne truck operated by Sita.

It is believed Stephane, who worked as a kitchen porter, may have stumbled and fallen under a rear wheel.

His parents Jean-Claude and Josiane, who live in Toulouse, are demanding Brighton and Hove City Council holds a public inquiry.

His sister Sandrine, 25, said: "To lose somebody in such a tragic way is hard enough to bear but the way that everyone involved has acted since the accident has added to our anguish.

"No respect has been shown to Stephane as a person. Our heart has been torn from our family by the loss of Stephane.

"The council have only recently written to us but this comes too late to offer us comfort and only after we have written twice to them without reply."

A police investigation concluded Stephane's death was an accident.

However the family was told that Tony Wilson, the GMB union health and safety representative at Sita, had questioned the vehicle's design in 1999 and warned there would be an accident.

Last week the council wrote to Stephane's parents describing Mr Wilson's claims as "unsubstantiated" and "tasteless". It insisted they were made when there was a breakdown in relations between the workforce and Sita.

Despite this dismissal Stephane's parents believe doubts about the vehicle's safety have not been thoroughly investigated.

They insist it is the responsibility of Sita to prove union concerns were not raised in 1999.

A spokeswoman for the council said: "We are extremely sorry the family of Stephane Aineto has had to suffer extra anguish because of an unsubstantiated statement about the safety of the refuse vehicle. There is no evidence to support the claim.

"The incident reports from the police, the council, and Sita were all received by the Health and Safety Executive and it were satisfied that this was a road traffic accident. Therefore there are no plans to hold a public inquiry."