Supporters of the "Remember Hayley - Come Home Safe" campaign have taken their appeal for a night bus to councillors.

The campaign was launched last month in memory of 23-year-old Hayley Owen, who died at 3am on December 4 last year after being thrown out of a nightclub for bumping into someone on the dance floor.

The nightclub, Thursdays, is in a rural location outside Chichester. The club minibus had left and there were no available taxis.

An inquest into Hayley's death heard the young mother was walking home to Worthing through a dimly-lit area when she fell on to a live rail at the Drayton level crossing on the outskirts of Chichester.

Coroner Roger Stone told the inquest into her death the amount of alcohol in Hayley's body meant she was unable to co-ordinate or think properly.

Hayley was in a group of 16 who had travelled to the nightclub by minibus from Worthing.

Hayley, of Littlehampton Road, Worthing, a former Davison School pupil, left a young son Kieran and a close-knit family, including her mum Cynthia.

Her relatives and friends wanted to do something to prevent others losing their lives needlessly so they launched their campaign to ensure young people can get home safely.

Members of the group attended a meeting at Worthing Town Hall to ask for Worthing Borough Council's support for the re-introduction of a night bus on a trial basis for the Christmas period.

Alan Hilliar, campaign co-ordinator, took the opportunity of public question time at the housing and community committee to ask councillors: "Will the council press the CDRP (Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership) to restore funding for the Worthing night bus, at least on a temporary basis over the Christmas and New Year period to re-establish the need for such a service in the town?"

The campaigners have started a petition for safer clubbing.

In just one evening, more than 260 young clubbers signed it.

Alan told the committee: "Young clubbers frequently ask us why the Worthing night bus service has been dropped.

"Our initial research suggests that it carried between 160 and 180 clubbers every night.

"Comments from the clubbers and others suggest there are not enough night taxis and young people and other town centre-users want another safe way of getting home late at night.

"We believe that reinstating the night bus service would be a significant step in making sure our young people come home safe."

The request received cross-party support from the councillors and a pledge to raise the issue at the next meeting of the Worthing Action Group, which reports to the CDRP.

It was the CDRP that provided subsidy for the last night bus. The service ceased last year when the council and the police withdrew the subsidy.

The campaign group has a web site which is appealing for people to help. It can be found at www.remember-hayley.org.uk