More than 1,300 readers of The Argus have joined a campaign to ban web sites showing violent pornography.

The Argus launched the appeal following the murder of Brighton teacher Jane Longhurst, who was strangled by a man obsessed with sex sites.

After Graham Coutts was jailed for life earlier this year, Miss Longhurst's family called on the Government to clean up the internet.

The Argus joined in by asking readers to petition Brighton MPs Des Turner and David Lepper, who support the ban.

Mr Lepper said: "We have received 1,347 names so far and more are still coming in daily.

"The response has been excellent. Some people have photocopied The Argus' petition and taken it to work or to relatives and friends to fill in.

"The names and addresses are from all over Sussex. It is obviously something that has struck a chord with people everywhere and from all walks of life.

"They feel deeply for Jane and her family and were sickened by the viciousness of her murder. They are also sickened by the kind of pornography that is so easily available on the internet."

Mr Lepper said some people had written to him with their own petition, using their own words.

He said: "This case and the campaign have affected people deeply and I am grateful to The Argus for giving the people of Sussex the opportunity to show their feelings."

Solicitor General Harriet Harman and dozens of MPs have joined the campaign.

Ms Harman said: "The presence of extreme internet pornography which promotes sickening acts of violence against women in the name of sexual gratification has become a serious and grave issue.

"It is important action is taken to block access to these images."

Petitions are being gathered throughout the UK calling on the Government to put pressure on web hosting companies to drop the sites and to make it a crime to download deviant material.

Mr Turner said: "We are pleased with the response so far but we want as much support as possible.

"It is vitally important to demonstrate the depth of feeling this dreadful murder and use of such sickening internet material has generated."

The petition calls on the Government and internet service providers to take action to block access to these sites and for an overhaul of the Obscene Publications Act to make it a criminal offence to possess such images.

It also calls for better international co-operation to close down sites hosted abroad and for internet images to the UK to be included in the remit of Ofcom.

The petitions should be posted to Des Turner/Dave Lepper, John Saunders House, 179 Preston Road, Brighton, BN1 6AG.

www.thisisbrightonandhove.co.uk/justice_for_jane/