One of the police officers searching the rubble for survivors in New York is Deputy Sheriff Bradley Girdler.

A former pupil of Longhill School, Rottingdean, Brighton, Bradley, 30, is a front-line officer in the town of Erie, near Buffalo in New York state.

He was one of 15 volunteers chosen from the Erie force to go and help with the huge rescue operation.

His mother June, who lives at the family home in Shepham Avenue, Saltdean, said: "He phoned us up to say he was one of 15 volunteers who had been chosen to help with the rescue operation. He expects to be there for at least five days."

Bradley, who left school at 16, went out to the US to see his sister, Naomi, who was studying in the States, and was married for a short time to an American girl.

He took a four-year course in criminal justice, which enabled him to get into the US Police Academy, where he graduated as the best student in his year.

Bradley was made a deputy sheriff in Erie and has already been seconded to the narcotics squad, where he worked as an undercover officer, making use of his English accent as nobody believed he could be a US police officer.

He has also been involved in several murder investigations in the Buffalo region and is taking exams in a bid to join the FBI.

Mrs Girdler said: "Considering he had no idea what he wanted to do when he left school, he has done very well and we are proud of him."

David Axford, from Bevendean, Brighton, found it impossible to contact his sister Valerie, who is a student in New York, in the wake of the terrorist attack.

He said: "Valerie babysits for two boys and I knew they went to school in that part of the city. When I saw what had happened I was just in shock. There was a high possibility that she was going to be in the area.

"We tried to contact her but the phone lines were all jammed. Eventually she managed to ring my mum last night. She said that if she had gone her normal route to the school she might have been dead now. As it was she was about 300 blocks away when it happened, which is quite some distance. It was very scary, though.

"She said everyone is talking about the fact that the attack happened on September 11. Americans always put the month before the day when they write, which makes this 911, the number of the emergency services in the US."

Charita Jones, who runs Momma Cherri's Soul Food Shack in Little East Street, Brighton, has family in New York, Washington DC and Pennsylvania, all of the three places affected.

She said: "I am in shock. I am only keeping the restaurant open in case my family try to contact me here. If I could put my American flag at half mast I would.

"Most of my family have been in contact now and are fine but there was a lot of concern about my sister-in-law. She works in the Wall Street area and we knew she was on her way to work at the time the planes hit in New York.

"She saw the whole thing happen but luckily she is fine."

Jackie Goozee, of the American Express headquarters in Brighton, said: "We are getting a lot of concerned calls from relatives and friends about people in our New York offices.

"We had a floor in the World Trade Centre and also another adjoining office. This second building was not affected by the initial crashes, however all the staff were evacuated. I understand that subsequently this building has also also been damaged by the collapse.

"Obviously our focus at the moment is to get information for relatives and we are maintaining as much contact with New York as possible."

Jeffrey Reed, an American writer and web designer based in Brighton, started receiving text messages from friends and family in the US within minutes of the first air crash.

Mr Reed's parents live in Pennsylvania close to where the fourth plane went down in rural Pittsburg and he also has friends in New York.

He said: "Speaking to my friends and family, it's clear there is still a very deep sense of shock and disbelief.

"I think nobody in America is in any doubt that there is going to be substantial retaliation by the US on the suspects within the next 48 hours.

"Personally I do not support this at all. I think it will result in the loss of yet more innocent civilian lives in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

"The attacks were clearly the work of a small group of people and we are not even sure who they are yet. There is a different feeling over here than in America though. American people really believe that they are at war now."

The universities of Brighton and Sussex have rallied to provide full support to their US students.

Brighton University has 40 students currently studying there, many of whom only arrived last weekend.

They have been offered unlimited free telephone calls, faxes and emails to the US, counselling and assistance to return home, if appropriate.

The University of Sussex has a group of 80 recently-arrived US students.

A university spokesman said: "We are offering them all our full support and help as they try to come to terms with this. It is a desperate situation and all we can do is be there for them. They are extremely shocked but are remaining very calm."

Books of condolence are being opened at the town halls in Brighton, Hove and Eastbourne. Brighton and Hove City Council plans to eventually send them to the US Embassy in London.

Worthing Mayor Valerie Sutton will write to the US Ambassador in London to offer condolences on behalf of the town.

Eastbourne Tory Councillor Michael Tunwell, chairman of East Sussex County Council, yesterday sent a letter of condolence to the US ambassador in London, William Farish.

Prayers will be dedicated to the victims at the Worthing Tabernacle Church in Chapel Road tonight at 7.30pm.