Littlehampton is to spend £50,000 in a bid to repair its image in the aftermath of the murder of Sarah Payne.

The cash will pay for a public relations blitz to promote the town, which suffered badly in the wake of the Sarah's kidnap and murder.

Part of the budget will be earmarked to support events to attract visitors.

Last year, Arun District Council spent £50,000 promoting the safety of the town after tourist bosses and town mayor Mark Butler became alarmed at a fall in the number of visiting coach parties.

The slump was blamed on the negative publicity the town received when Sarah went missing.

It had been revealed the man suspected of kidnapping and killing her was living in a flat overlooking a seafront playground.

The town also hit the headlines after the brutal stabbing of a 13-year-old boy by a lesbian couple who also lived on the seafront.

A report to Arun councillors says the town suffered ten months of crime-related media coverage after Sarah went missing and was back in the limelight late last year when the trial of Roy Whiting took place.

With Whiting behind bars for life, the council has issued details of the second phase of the tourist recovery plan, which we first revealed earlier this year.

The package includes a major publicity campaign starting this month and running right through to September to sell the family atmosphere of Littlehampton, its visitor attractions and its good sunshine record.