Relatives of 1973 Basle air crash victims attend services

The accident on 10 April 1973 claimed 108 lives

Memorial services have been held in churches in Somerset ahead of the 40th anniversary of the Basle air crash.

The plane set off from Bristol on 10 April 1973, but crashed in a snow storm on a mountainside near Basle killing 108 people.

Those on board were mainly mothers from Congresbury, Axbridge, Cheddar and Yatton on a day trip to Switzerland.

Friends and relatives of those killed have attended services in Congresbury and Wrington.

'Absolutely catastrophic'

At St Andrew's church in Congresbury, Sue Cooke and her husband Peter remembered her mother and father. In total Mrs Cooke lost 11 relatives in the crash.

"I think we were just in a state of numb shock," Mrs Cooke said.

"To think that they had gone out on a shopping trip and we'd said 'goodbye' in the morning, 'see you later when you come home', and there was nothing - there was no closure that day.

Sue Cooke lost 11 relatives in the crash.

"They say time is a healer, but I just don't know."

Benches in Congresbury have been dedicated in memory of those that lost their lives.

The Invicta Airlines flight 435 was boarded by 139 passengers at Bristol's Lulsgate airport.

The plane was coming in to land when it crashed.

Roger Keen, from Cheddar, lost his grandmother and his father. He said it is important to remember the anniversary.

"It must have been such a devastating thing to have all the young mums removed from the village, it must have been absolutely catastrophic," he said.

"I think it would be very nice to have some kind of remembrance memorial in Cheddar."