A cyclist was fatally injured when he was hit by a car travelling at about 60mph near a Sussex beauty spot.

Keen cyclist James Danson-Hatcher, 23, was thrown into the air by the force of the impact.

The kitchen hand, who lived in Rugby Place, Brighton, suffered multiple injuries and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

An inquest heard the accident happened at the junction of Saddlescombe Road and Devil's Dyke Road, on the outskirts of Brighton, at about 5.30pm on April 5.

Mr Danson-Hatcher was riding home after a visit to Devil's Dyke when he was hit by a Fiat Bravo.

The driver, Adam Gavan, told the inquest at Brighton County Court he did not have time to avoid the cyclist after seeing him emerge from the junction.

Mr Gavan, from Henfield, said he drove the route each day on his journey to and from work in Hove and was travelling at about 60mph.

He said: "The road was clear. As I got to the bend I got a glimpse of something and that is when I swerved and braked. It was somebody on a bike. They were coming out of the junction.

"I tried to turn and brake. I was not able to avoid him."

Mr Gavan faced questions from the dead man's father, Mark Danson-Hatcher, who asked him if he believed 60mph was an appropriate speed for the stretch of road.

Mr Gavan replied: "I usually do 60mph along that road and it seems a reasonable speed."

When asked if he had continued to drive following the fatal crash he replied he did and added: "I am a lot more cautious for obvious reasons. I drive a Land Rover and it is much slower."

The inquest heard Mr Danson-Hatcher, who had ambitions to be a professional photographer, was described by his family as a competent and experienced cyclist who regularly rode to Devil's Dyke to cycle across the Downs.

His father told the hearing cycling was his son's main means of transport and leisure activity and said it was a "cruel irony" he died while on his bike.

He said: "I believe he was a competent cyclist and he was experienced in rural and urban environments. He had covered literally tens of thousands of miles."

A police investigation concluded the accident was caused by the actions of the cyclist and that the car driver should not face criminal charges.

PC Christopher Harrison, of Sussex Police, said Mr Danson-Hatcher may have misinterpreted the Fiat's intended path or failed to appreciate its speed.

He said he may also have failed to look before starting to cycle out of the junction.

Brighton and Hove Deputy Coroner John Hooper recorded a verdict of accidental death.