A football fan who died after falling under a train while waving goodbye to friends has been described as a wonderful father.

Jim Ballantyne, 43, who taught hundreds of youngsters to play the game, slipped at Wivelsfield station on Saturday.

He had spent the day with friends in London watching Chelsea play Manchester City.

Mr Ballantyne got off the 6.15pm South Central train at Wivelsfield to return home to Burgess Hill.

It is believed he ran along the platform, waving to friends through the window, when he slipped on the platform as the train pulled away.

He died less than two hours later at the Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath.

Friends and relatives said Mr Ballantyne was a devoted father and husband and a respected member of the community.

Mr Ballantyne, who ran his own roofing business in Burgess Hill, lived with his wife Jane, 40, and sons, James, 18, and Jonathan, 12. The family moved to Burgess Hill from Glasgow 15 years ago.

James said his mother, a postmistress in Haywards Heath, married his father in Gretna Green last year. They had been together since his father was 17.

He said: "He was an absolutely wonderful father to me.

"He loved football and was was very active. He was a keen builder and did a lot of work on the house. He also wrote songs."

Mr Ballantyne was also a volunteer at the South Down Football Club, in Burgess Hill. He was a coach to youngsters at the club for several years.

A spokeswoman for South Central said: "Our sympathy goes out to the family. We will be working with the British Transport Police to establish what exactly happened."

A transport police spokeswoman said the incident was not being treated as suspicious.

An inquest has been opened and adjourned.