Village mourns crash victim

VILLAGERS were this week mourning the death in a road accident of a popular 20-year-old man they had known since childhood.

Robert Cannings, from Hadlow Down, died in a road accident on Sunday afternoon when returning home from Heathfield with a takeaway meal. His Vauxhall Astramax van was involved in a collision, at 3.50pm, at Dad's Hill, Cross in Hand, with a Ford Mondeo driven by a 52-year-old man from Hailsham who suffered serious injuries.

Both drivers were taken to Eastbourne District General Hospital but Robert, known to his friends as Rab, died. No one else was in either of the vehicles.

Robert's father Stuart, a builder, and brothers Stephen (19) and David (14) live in Wheelers Lane, Hadlow Down. His mother Sue lives at High Hurstwood.

Martin Clark, landlord at the New Inn pub in the village, is a family friend and had known Robert since he was five years old.

'He was a lovely boy and is a great loss to us all. He played darts for us and was well liked by everybody. He was very honest, hard working and slightly shy at times,' said Mr Clark. 'He loved discos and music. He loved life and was very much a social boy.'

Robert, who went to the village school and then Heathfield Community College, was a plasterer and his family is well known in Hadlow Down.

'They are a good, honest family, very helpful. His mother worked behind the bar here for me at times. They love the country life,' said Mr Clark.

Other villagers described Robert's death as a tragedy. One, who did not want his name used because he did not feel he could do justice to Robert's memory said: 'Everyone is really shocked. He was a lad everyone knew in the village. He was a very, very nice boy. This is such a waste.'

Sixteen-year-old Harvey Lee, from Crowborough, who was house sitting at the home of Robert's father this week said: 'He was a kind, loving bloke. He crammed as much as he could into the day.'