Plane wreckage removal reveals no further victims

A crane lifted the Hawker Hunter plane from where it crashed at the Sussex Pad lights.

Police have revealed that more than 200 people have reported concerns for missing relatives or friends since the incident.

Assistant Chief Constable Steve Barry said: “As a result of lifting the jet, we have not discovered any evidence of further victims and our estimate of 11 highly likely victims remains in place. However, until we have fully completed the search of what is an extensive scene, I must caution that there is still the possibility that we may discover evidence of further victims, but I am not prepared to speculate on that figure.”

Around 300 police officers and staff, along with support from other emergency services and partner agencies, have been working at the site and in support of the operation since the crash at around 1.20pm on Saturday.

ACC Barry continued: “We are now working on the recovery of the victims who were found at the site, which has now been discovered to extend a little further than the initial 400 yards of the A27 that was first identified.

“Along with colleagues from the Air Accident Investigation Branch, we have removed the jet, which will be transported to Farnborough for examination, and then we will remove all of the vehicles and other debris from the scene. After that there will a second phase of checking that we have accounted for all the victims and this will be followed by a thorough finger tip search of the area to ensure that we have recovered all of the forensic evidence.

“We will prioritise the search of the road and the verges so that we can hand it back to the highways authority at the earliest opportunity in order that they can get on with repairing and restoring the road.

“Again I should like to pay tribute to everyone who has been affected by this horrific and tragic incident. Not least, the local community who have responded magnificently, from the taxi firm who offered free lifts to the airport to those who needed to recover cars, to Brighton and Hove Albion who have generously allowed those working at the scene use of their splendid new facilities at Lancing.

“I appreciate that things will never be the same again in Shoreham, but would like to assure everyone affected by the incident that all of us working on the operation are determined that we will provide answers to the families and friends of those who have lost loved ones and work as quickly as we can to complete our investigations and reopen the road.”

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