The mother of two people killed in the A23 horror crash said: "I can finally let go now and start rebuilding my life."

Gloria Marshall and relatives of the other six victims released white balloons at the scene yesterday to mark the first anniversary of the crash.

Motorists on the A23 Brighton-London road slowed as they drove through Newtimber where 60 people gathered for the ceremony.

Families counted down the seconds to 4.28pm, the moment a year ago when a BMW crossed the central reservation and crashed into an on-coming Land Rover Freelander.

Mrs Marshall, whose son Aaron, 20, and daughter Katherine, 18, died, played the victims' favourite music on a portable player and placed flowers, lanterns, candles and balloons at what has become a shrine at the side of the A23.

Messages left included: "Our family chain is broken, nothing seems the same, but as God calls us one by one, the links shall join again."

Mrs Marshall watched the balloons fly south towards Brighton.

She said: "That was the direction the children were travelling on that day - now they've finally got there."

Relatives wept and hugged each other.

Mrs Marshall said: "It is time now to let them go."

She intends to continue visiting the scene once a month but said she felt it was time to start rebuilding her life.

Her children, of Gossops Drive, Crawley, were passengers in the BMW.

They died with Gemma Smoker, 17, of Henshaw Close, Bewbush, Crawley; Danielle Billingham, 17, of Petworth Court, Bewbush; and the driver, Mitch Treliving, 19, of Tilgate Parade, Crawley.

Kate Beasley, 30, her husband Toby, 33, and two-year-old Marcus Mohabir, all from Godalming in Surrey, died in the Freelander.

Marcus's father Steve was the only survivor and is still recovering from his injuries.

Mr Mohabir and other relatives are campaigning for speed or warnings signs at the scene.

He said: "If we can save just one life then it will have proved more than worthwhile."