A woman whose father died in an accident at Shoreham Harbour in 1976 is sending her support to the parents of Simon Jones, who was killed at the same site.

Simon, a 24-year-old student who was taking a year out from Sussex University, died in 1998 while loading bags of stones from a ship at the harbour.

Somehow a crane's grab came too close and crushed his head and nearly decapitated him.

Christine Newnham's father, George Wadey, died after being hit by a 2.5-tonne log which was being off-loaded from a German ship.

The inquest into the 54-year-old's death heard how he was crushed against the side of the ship before he fell 15ft into the harbour and died.

It was the sixth death in and around the harbour that year, although the general manager of the port authority, John Harrison, said at the time that safety precautions were as strict as at any similar site.

The deaths, which were all unrelated, involved a forklift truck, the collapse of a crane and the collapse of a wall.

The others were caused by members of the public falling or driving into the harbour waters.

Mrs Newnham, 48, of Elizabeth Road, Shoreham, said: "My father had worked there since I was a child and it was a terrible time for me. I was very bitter for what had happened.

"It was just devastating because he had just gone to work and never came back, like Simon Jones.

"I fully support his family because I know exactly what they are going through."

Simon's death was investigated by the Crown Prosecution Service on two occasions but it decided there was insufficient evidence to prosecute the quay's owner, Euromin, or its general manager.

His family made legal history in March when the High Court told the CPS to review its decision. An announcement is expected later this year.

Mrs Newnham, a care assistant, said: "Even though Simon was working for a different company, hearing about him brings it all back."