A woman due to celebrate her 82nd birthday on Christmas Eve died in a road accident yesterday.

Olive Cox suffered head and abdominal injuries in the accident as she crossed the A23 London Road in Brighton.

It happened near the junction with Carden Avenue, Patcham, as she was walking to her home in Tongdean Lane.

Police said one car stopped, apparently to allow Mrs Cox to cross, but she was apparently not seen by the driver of a second car, a 47-year-old man from Surrey, who continued past on the inside lane and was involved in the collision at 4.45pm.

He and the other driver, a 52-year-old woman from Kent, suffered shock.