BODY FOUND NEAR PLANE WRECKAGE

The two-seater Piper 38 crashed into the sea near cliffs close to Robin Hood's Bay in North Yorkshire.

Several witnesses saw the light aircraft moments before it plunged into the sea.

The pilot, thought to come from the Teesside area, was the only person on board.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: "A body of a man was recovered by police divers close to the wreck of a plane. A police helicopter landed on rocks and the body was airlifted up to the cliffs before being taken to Scarborough Hospital by an undertaker."

The body has not been formally identified while relatives are informed.

The Coastguard, RNLI and RAF helicopters were involved in the search, which began after a member of the public reported seeing a small aircraft crash into the sea.

Search teams located the stricken aircraft submerged in the water and returned to carry out a more detailed examination.

Holidaymaker Sean Flesher, of Yeadon, near Leeds, was in the Bay Hotel overlooking the sea when he saw the crash.

He told the Scarborough Evening News: "I saw a light aircraft heading into the bay. I thought it was going to disappear around the headland as it was flying so low. The next thing I saw it had plunged into the water."