A Worthing MP has sought assurances from Sussex Police over the future of the child rescue alert scheme.

The pioneering scheme involves text messages being sent to registered mobile users alerting them to missing children.

It was started to prevent a repeat of the Sarah Payne tragedy.

Details of missing children will be broadcast on local media but police say they will not be expanding the scheme to include text and pager alerts to the public.

Officers say not enough people have signed up to make it viable.

West Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton says he wants to take a delegation from Sussex to meet Home Office officials to discuss the scheme.

He described the scheme as a "major crime-fighting tool".