A mother whose only daughter was killed in a waterbike accident fears more lives will be lost unless safety is improved.

Maggie Hoppe, 57, is still mourning the death of daughter Jacqui, who died in a head-on crash with another waterbike ridden by her best friend.

She died instantly from head injuries and a ruptured heart in the accident on Lake Mead near Boulder City, Nevada.

It was the first time Jacqui, who was wearing a bathing suit and lifejacket, had ever ridden a waterbike.

Ms Hoppe, of Old Shoreham Road, Shoreham, is horrified that waterbikers are allowed to operate without wearing helmets and protective gear at speeds of up to 70mph.

With the sport extremely popular off the Sussex coast, she warned more parents will suffer the heartache of losing a child if safety laws were not passed soon.

She said: "My daughter was not some heady teenager with a gang of mates who got a waterbike after having a few drinks.

"She was 32, responsible and not a person who would put her life at risk "We send children out on skateboards and bikes wearing helmets, elbow and knee pads but not for waterbikes.

"People can get on one without having any training or safety gear.

"These machines are not toys - they are powerful machines which can reach up to 70mph.

"No one would be allowed to take a motorised vehicle of any kind on a road without a licence, instruction or suitable protective clothing.

"It makes no difference this is on water. It still has the ability to kill."

Jacqui, a former pupil of Boundstone Community College, Lancing, had moved to Las Vegas in 1990 after marrying an American sailor.

Ms Hoppe, who works for a national charity for children with special needs, had planned to move there to be near her daughter so they could open an English tearoom together.

She said: "My life ended the day hers did.

"As a single parent my life had revolved around going to work, visiting Jacqui in the States and making plans for when I moved.

"Our future has been lost and I now find it hard to face life on a daily basis and just survive."

The bank holiday weekend marked the fourth anniversary of Jacqui's funeral but Ms Hoppe still cannot bear to watch home videos of her daughter.

She has written countless letters to politicians about the dangers of waterbiking to try to stop similar deaths.

She wants riders to gain a certificate of competence before taking to the water.

She said: "It comes up as an issue for a few days after someone else dies but it is soon forgotten about.

"How many people will have to die before the Government does something about it?"

Ms Hoppe, an Albion season ticket-holder, has sponsored the away kit of midfielder Charlie Oatway in memory of her daughter who was a huge fan of the team.

She said: "Nothing will bring my daughter back or any others who have lost their lives in this way but it would be good to think other lives could be saved. "