The heartbroken father of a teenager jailed for three years for killing his best friend in a road crash has filed an official complaint about the police who investigated the incident.

Stuart Kennedy claims police made mistakes and failed to answer key questions about the crash, near Lewes last November, in which Ben Sharrod, 17, was killed.

He has made his complaint to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

Mr Kennedy's son Arran, 18, was jailed by a judge at Lewes Crown Court on Monday after admitting causing death by dangerous driving.

He had only passed his driving test six weeks before the crash and had been smoking cannabis before he got behind the wheel.

Mr Kennedy, 57, a newsagent of Western Road, Newhaven, said: "Yes, he was guilty, he was driving the car and he had smoked cannabis, but I feel my son was given a rough ride by the police."

Witnesses estimated Arran was driving at up to 85mph in a 60mph zone before he lost control of his Peugeot 206 at around 10pm on November 22.

The vehicle hit a road sign and a tree. But Mr Kennedy said: "I was surprised the police could not accurately give a speed the car was travelling at and they had to rely on witness statements, which are guesswork.

"I just do not know how he will cope with this experience or if he will ever be able to bounce back.

"He is absolutely devastated and wracked with guilt.

"It has torn Arran's life apart. That does not bring Ben back but will my son come out of prison a better man? Probably not."

Inspector Mark Armstrong, senior investigating officer, said he could not address the specific points because they are subject to an IPCC investigation.

He said: "All road deaths in Sussex are investigated to a high standard."