Relatives and friends have launched a fund-raising campaign to help a teenage cancer sufferer who was sent home from hospital seven times before being diagnosed.

Communities across Eastbourne are uniting in support of 18-year-old Janine Davidson as she undergoes four months of intensive chemotherapy.

Janine was given pain killers and told her agony could be "psychological" because her mother had died from cancer six years ago.

It was only after an MRI scan was conducted almost three weeks after her first hospital visit that cancer of the breast, liver and pelvis was identified.

Eastbourne Tory MP Nigel Waterson has demanded "the fullest possible" inquiry at the Eastbourne District General Hospital (DGH).

In the meantime, events are being organised by friends and family of Janine as she faces treatment at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton, Surrey, with father Johnny at her side.

On Friday, October 29, an evening of fund-raising will take place at the Drive pub in Old Town, Eastbourne, from 6pm to 11pm.

Yesterday family friend Irene Kelly, 47, of Avard Crescent, Eastbourne, was writing a letter to hospital trust chief executive Annette Sergeant outlining the family's concerns.

Mrs Kelly had been looking after Sussex Downs College student Janine on and off since her mother Sue's death aged 38.

She said: "We are all willing Janine to pull through this and lots of people are doing lots of different things to ensure we raise as much money as possible for her.

"Perhaps when this is all over and she is fine she can go off on a dream holiday. But the hospital has a lot of explaining to do before then and under no circumstances is sorry enough."

East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the DGH, has already apologised for not admitting Janine sooner and has promised a thorough inquiry.

Janine's family is planning legal action. Her case is being backed by Mr Waterson, who questioned whether the trust's financial difficulties contributed in any way. He said: "What happened to Janine should not happen to anyone in our NHS. I am demanding the fullest possible inquiry.

"We need to know how a young lady in terrible agony was turned away not once or twice but seven times. Thank goodness she is now getting the treatment she needs.

"We need to know if this was an isolated case or whether there is a problem in the system for detecting cancer early.

"Frankly we also need to know if the financial black cloud which is hanging over the DGH was in any way a contributory factor."

A Lloyds TSB bank account has been set up for donations to be made to Janine's Fund.