The mother of a little girl who died after becoming buried in sand on a holiday beach is expecting another child.

Pippa Sayer, who married her partner Ian six weeks ago, lost three-year-old Abbie Livingstone-Nurse in the tragic accident last August.

Now they are expecting a baby, although the couple, of Goring Road, Goring, Worthing, do not know whether it is a boy or a girl.

Mrs Sayer, 34, who is four months pregnant, said of the news: "When we first found out, we shed tears of happiness."

Abbie died in Cornwall last summer when she became trapped in a 5ft-deep sand tunnel which collapsed. An inquest recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Mrs Sayer, who is due to give birth on Remembrance Sunday, November 11, said the family still lived with the sadness of Abbie's death every day.

But she said she knew Abbie would have been happy for them to have a new baby in their lives.

She said: "When Ian and I first got together, we said we'd love to have our own children.

"Abbie even once asked us if we'd give her a baby brother or sister. But then we decided we didn't need to because Abbie was so young and had such a strong bond with Ian.

"It was as if she was his own and our family seemed complete.

"After Abbie died, we changed our minds because there was such a huge void without her. I love children and I felt I had more mothering to do."

On the day of Abbie's death, the "happy, beautiful" child had been playing with her five-year-old brother Joe and Ian's 13-year-old son Dominic.

Abbie's grave in Durrington Cemetery, Worthing, is marked by a carved headstone made of granite from Hay Tor, a hill on Dartmoor she climbed a few days before she died.

It says: "Abigail Livingstone-Nurse 23.3.2002 - 14.8.2005. Our little 'doodle'. Always an angel. We miss you."

The grave is marked by flowers, toys, a picture drawn by Joe, a photograph of Abbie and lots of pink, her favourite colour.

At her funeral in St Mary's Church, Goring, mourners were asked to dress in pink to honour her memory.

Pippa and Ian, 41, a teacher, were married at the same church last month.

The bride carried a bouquet of cream roses with a single pink bloom in the middle.