A campaign has been launched to get the name of a war hero written on the front of a bus.

Godfrey Meynell, of Tisbury Road, Hove, was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest medal for bravery, in 1935.

Now family and admirers say they would like to see him honoured in the same way as the many local actors, politicians and sports stars who get their very own bus named after them.

They said the honour would not just be for Mr Meynell, who died defending his men during an ambush in the Kyber Pass, but would symbolise all the other heroes who died in battle.

Tony Sullivan, the chairman of the combined air serviceman association, said he came up with the idea after meeting Mr Meynell's granddaughter Clare Dimyon at Remembrance Day and approached Brighton and Hove Bus Company with the idea.

He said: "My pride goes to the people who gave us the life that we have got today. It would be nice to give them some recognition.

"We could even make some sort of event when the first bus came out. Maybe raise the standard and do a salute or something like that."

Mrs Dimyon, of Chester Terrace, Brighton, said: "I was very touched at the suggestion. I am used to seeing lots of actors and celebrities on buses - which is absolutely fine, but it would be nice to do something for real heroes.

"It is not just about getting my grandfather's name up there. It would be nice if it represented all people who got a Victoria Cross and all people who should have got one."

Roger French, managing director of Brighton and Hove Buses, said: "We welcome suggestions for names and we will certainly be giving this suggestion serious thought but we will need more detailed information about Mr Meynell. A war hero is very much the sort of thing we like to consider for buses."

Mr Meynell spoke fluent Urdu and Pashtu - the official language of Afghanistan - and fought for the Indian and British Armies in the Middle East.

He died after riding into an uneven battle to defend 30 men fighting a far larger enemy and is now buried in Pakistan.

A tribute made with his medal said: "He was determined to hold on at all costs. He encouraged his men to fight with him to the last and was mortally wounded."

The Victoria Cross aims to honour conspicuous bravery, self-sacrifice and devotion to duty in the face of an enemy. It is given out very rarely and there have been just 1,356 medals awarded since the mid-1800s and only 14 since the Second World War.

Who do you think deserves to have their name on a bus? Have your say below.