Family and friends of murder victim Sarah Payne are devastated by a council's decision to once again tear down a shrine in her memory.

A continuous flow of teddies, floral tributes and sympathy messages have been left on the roadside of the A29 near Pulborough since Sarah was killed in July 2000.

Two weeks ago workmen arrived in the middle of the night and removed all the items after West Sussex County Council said they were causing a road hazard.

Within hours members of the public began replacing the tributes, which the council has removed again and said it will continue to remove until a permanent memorial in Sarah's memory is established.

Trisha Porter, friend of the Payne family who has also set up the Safehouse charity for children seeking a safe haven, said: "Terry, Sarah's grandfather, is furious. We had been told the council would not touch the stuff until a permanent memorial site had been agreed on."

A spokesman for West Sussex County Council said: "The items are causing a danger to motorists.

"Motorists slow down as they drive past the tributes and cause accidents. There has been about six accidents so far and we are concerned that eventually there will be a serious one.

Roy Whiting abducted eight-year-old Sarah from near her grandparents' home in Kingston Gorse, East Preston, near Littlehampton, in July 2000.

She was found dead more than two weeks later. Whiting was jailed for life.