A grieving pensioner who plastered his car in photos of his dead nephew was distraught to find someone had stolen them all.

John Whelan's car was broken into and all 17 pictures paying tribute to bus crash victim Richard Williamson taken.

Mr Williamson, 24, died under the wheels of a Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach Company double-decker in Sutherland Road, Brighton, in May 1994.

For the past three years, Mr Whelan has driven around with the pictures of his nephew displayed in his Volvo.

He was stunned by the theft, which happened when the car was parked in Conway Street, Hove, last Wednesday.

Mr Whelan, 73, from Hove, said: "I couldn't believe someone had broken into my car and stripped everything out of it.

"There wasn't much damage to the actual car. But it must have taken someone quite a while to take everything out.

"The police have told me they don't have a problem with my having the photos in my car. I don't understand why this has happened."

Mr Whelan also displayed messages about the accidental death verdict at the inquest into his nephew's death.

In October 1998 he was accused of harassing two coroners about the case.

The charges were dismissed by Brighton magistrates, as Mr Whelan agreed to be bound over for two years to the sum of £250.

Stipendiary magistrate Kevin Walters told him: "It is now time for all this to be put at an end."

Bus driver Alan Liddiard was charged with careless driving in connection with the accident but was acquitted by magistrates at Lewes in January 1995.

The inquest into the death heard Mr Williamson ran after the bus when it did not stop for him.

Witnesses said he was shouting as he went up to the cab, hit the window and spat at the driver.

However, Mr Williamson then got caught by a wheel and was dragged under the bus. He died of a fractured skull.

A post-mortem revealed Mr Williamson, who was being treated for drug addiction, had taken methadone, Tamazapan and cannabis.

Anyone with information about the pictures should contact police on 0845 6070999.