A coroner is calling for a change in the law, following the death of a schoolboy in a bus accident.

Brighton and Hove coroner Veronica Hamilton-Deeley wants close-proximity mirrors fitted to busses to eliminate "blind spots" for drivers.

She was speaking at an inquest into the death of Kevin Prior, known to his friends and family as P-nut, who was killed instantly when he was in collision with a bus in Brighton on June 2.

Seven-year-old Kevin, of Bolney Road, Moulsecoomb, was playing with a friend when the fatal accident happened at the junction of Moulsecoomb Way and Halland Road at about 7pm.

The inquest heard how Kevin was believed to have been running alongside the number 49 single-decker bus.

Minutes before he had asked the driver of the bus, Paul Bray, if he had any old ticket roll ends.

Mr Bray, a driver for six months, told the hearing it was not unusual to be approached by local youngsters while the bus stopped in Moulsecoomb Way.

He said he had known children to try and open the door by pushing the outside emergency button.

He had waited at the stop for a few minutes and was aware that Kevin was playing with a water pistol.

He said he double checked his view in the mirrors and over his shoulder before driving off. He said: "I did not see him running alongside the bus."

He said he was unaware he had hit Kevin until a passenger alerted him.

Passenger Leonard Oman, of Southall Avenue, Brighton, said: "As the bus slowly pulled away, I saw the children running alongside.

"When it turned the corner, I saw one of them trip and fall."

Kevin's father, also called Kevin, told the hearing he was called to the accident, which happened near his home.

He said Kevin, the youngest of four children, loved cartoons and his computer and had lots of friends. He said: "Kevin was a model boy."

PC Andrew Wilson-Law, of the Crash Investigation Unit, told the hearing he believed Kevin was in a blind spot when the accident happened.

Mrs Hamilton-Deeley said buses should have close-proximity mirrors fitted to try to eliminate the blind spot.

Following a series of accidents involving heavy goods vehicles, the law was changed to ensure these special mirrors were fitted.

The coroner will be contacting the Vehicle Inspectorate and the Brighton and Hove Bus Company to report the findings of the inquest.

Mrs Hamilton-Deeley, who recorded an accidental verdict, described Kevin's death as tragic and devastating to his friends and family. She offered her sympathy to relatives and the bus driver.

She said: "I am sure the driver did everything he could to make sure the children were no longer by the bus. It is clear the blind spot has taken its toll."