Police at reservoir after light aircraft crash

2 hours ago 1

Henry Godfrey-Evans/BBC A floral bouquet that has been strapped to a metal fence. It is made of flowers that are different shades of yellow, orange, pink and red. A reservoir can be seen on the other side of the fence. It is a grey cloudy day.

A small aircraft has crashed into a reservoir, police said.

Essex Police was called shortly after 14:00 GMT on Sunday to reports of the aircraft entering the water at Hanningfield Reservoir, near Chelmsford.

On Monday, the force said its officers remained on the scene of a serious incident and were working with several organisations.

Ch Supt Waheed Khan said: "We are still in the early stages of our investigation and are working closely with the Air Accident Investigation Branch to establish what has happened."

Henry Godfrey-Evans/BBC A police car parked at the entrance of a reservoir. There is a large green gate and fence marking the boundary of the site. There is also a large blue sign detailing the name of the reservoir.

He urged anyone with information, CCTV, dash cam or other footage to get in touch.

The force has not released any information about casualties. Flowers have been left on the fence around the reservoir.

The public has been asked to avoid the area.

A spokesperson for the Essex Wildlife Trust, which manages a nature reserve at the reservoir, confirmed its visitor centre would remain closed on Monday.