The family of a man who was crushed under the wheels of a rubbish truck are still waiting for an inquest verdict five years after his death.

In 2003, a High Court judge quashed an original coroner's verdict that Stephane Aineto, 28, of Upper Lewes Road, Brighton, died accidentally and ordered a fresh inquest with a jury.

Mr Aineto was run over by a 7.5 tonne Sita lorry in East Street, Brighton, which is pedestrianised, on July 29, 2001.

But three years on, his French family are still waiting for a new inquest to be held and say they cannot grieve properly or move on until they know how Mr Aineto died.

Family friend Ron Trussell has looked after the case in the UK. He is also angry that more than 30 people have died in accidents involving dustcarts since the tragedy but says no action is being taken to make the vehicles safer.

Mr Aineto's mother Josiane, who lives in France, told The Argus of her family's heartbreaking wait for an inquest.

She says East Sussex coroner Alan Craze, who is to hold the new inquest, had a meeting with the family in January 2004 after the judge made the order but no date has been set.

Mrs Aineto said: "Stephane's death came as a horrifying shock to me. It was a crushing blow from which I will never fully recover.

"Even now, five years on, I have still not had answers to the questions of why and how my only son's life had been taken.

"They are questions that any parent, especially a mother, would have when their child dies an unnatural death.

"I do not understand why it is taking British authorities so long to get to the truth.

"What I am absolutely certain about, is that Stephane would not have behaved so recklessly as to put his own life at risk. I know my own son. "I desperately need an explanation for how and why he died."

Mr Trussell, of The Martlets, Chailey, has been investigating other instances of fatal accidents involving dustcarts.

He has recorded 35 deaths of people hit by the trucks since Mr Aineto's death five years ago.

Eight of them were binmen, which he believes proves the machines are inherently dangerous, as even professionals trained in their use and alert to the risks are getting injured and killed.

He said: "I check regularly and my heart sinks every time I see someone else has died.

"It happens about once every six weeks.

"The incidents are all dealt with locally without anyone looking at the national picture and doing something about the situation."

The Health and Safety Executive has written a report into Mr Aineto's death but it will not be released until after an inquest.

In March it issued an alert to the waste and recycling industry after nine people were killed in eight weeks in accidents including dustcart collisions.

Coroner Mr Craze refused to comment to The Argus.