A family has paid a loving tribute to a sparkly, vivacious teenager who touched the lives of everyone she met.

Illona Culver's family are facing Christmas without her but said she would live on in their hearts.

Described as a spontaneous, inspirational girl who would have done anything for anybody, 18-year-old Illona, of Clarendon Road, Worthing, died on Tuesday after a car accident on the A281 in Lower Beeding, Horsham, on Sunday.

The tragedy has rocked her close family who will spend a quiet Christmas together remembering Illona.

Mourners at her New Year's Eve funeral will wear clubbing clothes, while songs by Destiny's Child and Alicia Keys will be played in tribute to a girl who lived to party.

Yesterday Illona's mother, Beverley Culver, 36, spoke of her immense admiration for her daughter and her grief at losing her best friend.

She said: "I am so, so incredibly proud of her. I always have been and I always will be.

"When she finally left us we all held her hand or a part of her and told her how much we loved her. I thanked her for being my daughter. I could never have asked for a better person.

"We were so, so close and there was nothing she wouldn't tell me. I am going to miss her so much."

Ms Culver said her daughter would want the family to carry on and celebrate Christmas for the sake of Illona's younger sister, Carly, 16, and brother Charlie, 12.

She said: "She wouldn't have wanted us to throw it all away. She was very much for living life to the full. She will think everyone coming to her party on New Year's Eve will be awesome."

"She crammed so much into her short life it's untrue. She was the most confident person I have ever met. There was nothing she could not do. She lifted everyone."

Illona will be buried in a sparkly prom dress and playboy bunny shoes.

Illona's uncle, Mark Culver, 39, said: "Her sole aim in life was to party until she dropped.

"She was an incredibly pretty, very vivacious, very sparkly, very loving girl. She would just explode into a room.

"She was a very good listener. She would talk to whoever she met like she had known them for 30 years."

He said Illona loved her job as a personal banker for Barclays bank in Chapel Road, Worthing, where she had worked for 18 months.

Her Christmas present from boyfriend, James Randall, 20, is a diamond ring, which will be placed on her wedding ring finger.

Ms Culver said: "James said to me 'She was my best friend and we loved each other so much'. The ring will go on her wedding finger because he wanted to marry her and she wanted to be with him."

Illona had booked a girls' holiday to Egypt in the spring and her family now plan to visit the country in her memory.

Two weeks ago Illona attended the funeral of friend Hayley Owen, of Littlehampton Road, Worthing, who died when she fell on to a live rail.

Ms Culver said: "When she went to Hayley's funeral she said 'When I go I want people to be in their clubbing clothes and I want the music to be banging'.

"She will get exactly what she wanted and it will be elegant and dignified."

The family expect more than 300 people at the funeral, which is to be held at Durrington Cemetery.

They have requested donations be made to Hurstwood Park Neurological Unit in Haywards Heath, via Dillistone Funeral Service in South Farm Road, Worthing.