MEMORIAL funds are to be set up to honour four young Sussex men who were killed in an horrific car crash in Australia.

Brothers Ben and Martyn Hebblethwaite, 20 and 22, and friends Peter Standing, 21, and Timothy Skipp, 23, died instantly when their rented car was hit by a truck in Queensland.

They had been waiting at red traffic lights at around midnight on Monday after an evening celebrating Timothy's birthday.

Now the families are planning to set up memorials in honour of their sons.

Peter's family are planning a fund to continue his work with Brazilian street children.

Peter spent three months in the South American country last year helping a church mission to feed and clothe the children and help reunite them with their parents.

David Standing, Peter's father, said: "Peter wanted to go back to Brazil after finishing university and we are setting up the fund to help that work go forward.

"He had so much to give and what he experienced out there really touched his heart.

"Lots of people are sharing in our grief and we hope something good can come out of all this and it's what Peter would have wanted."

Peter was studying geography at Swansea University and during the holidays lived at the family home in Amherst Crescent, Hove, with his parents and two sisters.

Mr Standing, 49, also spoke of how his family had been coping since learning of the tragedy.

He said: "It's all about trying to come to terms with what has happened. At times you feel you are able to accept it and look ahead but other times we have just been crying together and finding it all very hard to believe.

"We've had a lot of support from friends within the church and have been amazed at how many people have been sharing our grief with us from right across the town."

The bodies of the four friends are due to be flown back to Britain on Wednesday.

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