Light aircraft crash leaves pilot seriously hurt

The aircraft came down in a field in East Wellow on Thursday night

A pilot has suffered serious injuries in a light aircraft crash in a Hampshire village.

The plane came down in a field off Ryedown Lane in East Wellow shortly after 20:00 BST on Thursday.

South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) said the aircraft was reported as dropping about 100ft (30m) into trees shortly after take-off.

After being treated at the scene, the pilot was flown by air ambulance to University Hospital Southampton.

Firefighters from three stations were called, with several road closures put in place.

No-one else was involved, police said.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said it had sent a team of investigators to the crash site.

A spokesperson said inspectors would "make enquiries and gather evidence as part of the process of conducting a safety investigation".