A young father was knocked down and killed when he stepped into the road between two parked cars.

The family of Brett Meredith, 28, plan to take out a private prosecution against the driver of the car which struck him in December last year.

Jobless Mr Meredith, who had two young children, left his brother's house on Worcester Villas, Hove, just before 9.30am when he walked in front of a white Metro driven by Kalpesh Shah.

A Brighton inquest heard Mr Meredith was thrown on to the car's bonnet before being hurled against a parked Ford Escort.

Pathologist Dr Andrew Rainey said Mr Meredith, of Poynings Drive, Hove, was taken to the Royal Sussex Hospital with severe head injuries.

He died the next day. A toxicology report revealed he had a "significant" amount of cannabis in his blood.

Dr Rainey said: "This could well have altered his time and distance perception and could have contributed to the accident."

Although there were no witnesses, people in the area said Mr Shah drove away immediately.

Isabel Sawicka-Parr was in the bedroom of her home on Worcester Villas at the time.

She told the inquest: "I tried to get the registration number when I saw the car zooming off."

Maureen Smith, another resident of Worcester Villas, called an ambulance.

She said: "I saw someone's legs sticking out between two cars and at first I thought it was someone working on their car. Then I saw he had terrible injuries."

Mr Shah, who drove about 300 metres before parking in New Church Road and returning to the scene, declined to give evidence at yesterday's inquest.

Accident investigator PC Nigel Harwood said he could not find any evidence Mr Shah was travelling over the 30mph limit, adding: "Pedestrian error is the most likely cause of this tragic accident."

Coroner Roderick Webb recorded a verdict of accidental death.

After the inquest, Mr Meredith's brother Trevor said: "We will be taking out a private prosecution. He had two young children and they will need to be looked after."