Shoreham crash: High Court hearing over evidence

The Hawker Hunter jet plummeted on to the A27 in August last year

Investigators of the Shoreham air crash are to get a bid to access evidence heard at the High Court.

Aviation law currently blocks Sussex Police access to some Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) material relating to the crash, last August.

The force is required to take the transport secretary to court so the material can be released.

A Hawker Hunter plane crashed into spectators watching the airshow from the A27 last August, killing 11 people.

Det Ch Insp Paul Rymarz, who is leading the investigation, said: "The application is to enable Sussex Police to obtain access to legally protected material including cockpit recorders and footage, expert reports and some documentation."

'Key evidence missing'

Mr Rymarz told a pre-inquest hearing in March their inquiry "cannot progress effectively" until the High Court issues its ruling, in a hearing scheduled for 14 and 15 July.

Without this material "key evidence is missing and experts are not in a position to provide interpretations", he said.

The pilot, Andrew Hill, 51, survived and has been interviewed under caution.

A spokesman for the AAIB told the pre-inquest hearing its final report was expected to be published in "early summer".

The victims:

(Top row, left to right) Matt Jones, Matthew Grimstone, Jacob Schilt, Maurice Abrahams, Richard Smith. (Bottom row, left to right) Mark Reeves, Tony Brightwell, Mark Trussler, Daniele Polito, Dylan Archer, Graham Mallinson

• Matt Jones, a 24-year-old personal trainer

• Matthew Grimstone, 23, a Worthing United footballer who worked as a groundsman at Brighton & Hove Albion

• Jacob Schilt, also 23 and also a Worthing United player, was travelling to a match with Mr Grimstone

• Maurice Abrahams, 76, from Brighton, was a chauffeur on his way to pick up a bride on her wedding day

• Friends Richard Smith, 26, and Dylan Archer, 42, who were going for a bike ride on the South Downs

• Mark Reeves, 53, had ridden his motorcycle to the perimeter of Shoreham Airport to take photos of the planes

• Tony Brightwell, 53, from Hove was an aircraft enthusiast and had learnt to fly at Shoreham airfield

• Mark Trussler, 54, is thought to have been riding his motorcycle on the A27

• Daniele Polito was travelling in the same car as Mr Jones

• Graham Mallinson, 72, from Newick, was a keen photographer and retired engineer