A nurse who fell 20ft off railings on Brighton seafront after Fatboy Slim's beach party has died.

Karen Manders's parents and brother Jason were at her bedside at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, when she stopped breathing at 1pm yesterday.

The family had flown in from their home in Brisbane, Australia.

They were said to be devastated and were too upset to talk.

Karen, 25, fell from the King's Road promenade to the Lower Esplanade, opposite West Street, Brighton, at about 2am after attending the Normstock II party on Saturday.

Karen, who lived in Bethnal Green, east London, worked as an accident and emergency nurse at Homerton University Hospital in Hackney.

She came to Brighton with three friends on Saturday and became separated from them.

Karen was sitting on a seafront railing when she toppled backwards and fell.

She suffered severe head and spine injuries and remained on a life support machine in the hospital's intensive care unit until she died.

Police have ruled out crime and they are satisfied no one else was involved.

A police spokeswoman said: "It appears to have been a tragic accident. Karen may have lost her balance."

A post-mortem examination will take place tomorrow and an inquest will be held at a date to be fixed.

Pauline Brown, director of nursing at Homerton, said: "Staff are terribly saddened to hear of Karen's tragic death.

"She was a valued member of the team and a giving, caring person.

"She will be greatly missed by all those who knew her."

Karen, born in Chertsey, Surrey, emigrated to Australia with her British-born father and Australian mother when she was a child. She had dual nationality.

Problems of overcrowding and safety on Saturday night have forced the cancellation of the Channel 4 T4 gig on Brighton seafront planned for this coming Sunday.