School children gasped in horror at the remains of a man who jumped in front a high-speed train.

It is believed the man leapt from from Hassocks railway station in torrential rain at around 3pm yesterday just as the London to Brighton service was passing through at 80mph.

It is thought up to 15 people could have been on the platform at the time and several children making their way home from school arrived immediately afterwards.

A 13-year-old boy walking home with a friend told his father he had seen the body on the track and a woman who had been in a caf near the station reported seeing an arm sticking out from under the train.

Photographer Barry Page, of Station Approach, Hassocks, lives 150 yards from the station said: "It happened just before the schoolchildren would have arrived so the station was quiet with 10 to 15 commuters there.

"The police blocked off the road with a car and then taped off the station.

"There was a suicide here about two weeks ago where a person jumped off a road bridge on to the line. Usually, if it's going to happen, it happens at a bridge further up the line."

The body has not yet been identified and police said yesterday there were no suspicious circumstances.

The 2.06pm service from London Victoria to Brighton had been travelling more slowly than usual because of the heavy rain but was not scheduled to stop at Hassocks.

A Southern Railways manager came to look after the driver and the train was taken to a depot in Brighton after it had been declared safe to travel.

The line was reopened by 4.30pm but there were delays all evening on the route.