THE FAMILY of a fisherman lost at sea is raising funds for a memorial in his home town.

Darren Brown fell overboard in French waters on June 9 and despite the best efforts of his crewmates, and of lifeboat and coastguard helicopter crews, a search was called off eight hours later.

The 37-year-old, from Newhaven, has not been found.

Now his brother Mark is raising money for a memorial, and for a fishermen's welfare charity.

Mark told The Argus: “It will be somewhere for all his friends to go to put flowers on his birthday, and it will raise awareness of the risks our fishermen are taking every day.

“It just shows what can happen, on a clear sunny day even to someone with 22 years’ experience on the water.”

Mark said he has permission from the port authority for a memorial anywhere within the harbour limits, but still needs confirmation from the town council.

He hopes that the memorial will be a driftwood design featuring a version of a poem he wrote for his brother in the days after he went overboard.

The donation page is also well on the way to the original £3,000 goal so Mark hopes that there will be money left over to donate to the Fishermen's Mission.

Mark learned of the charity from colleagues of Darren’s when he went out to sea to lay a wreath on the water for his brother.

He said: “They look after people if they get injured, and they set up a fund for my niece, for her education, and they’ve provided counselling to me.

“It’s not a very well known charity and they were straight on to us when it happened. They’ve been really good and it would be brilliant to do something for them.

“I’m hoping we’re going to smash the target and be able to give some money to charity.”

Darren's girlfriend Adele Holmes said losing him had been a "huge shock" which had left "a huge hole" in her life.

She said: "We don't have Darren to bury but it will be a special place for us and for everyone to come and pay their respects."

To donate to the campaign go to: crowdfunding.justgiving.com/mark-brown-1