Helicopter accident couple named

An investigation by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch is under way

A couple killed in a helicopter crash at a golf resort near Harrogate, North Yorkshire, have been named by police.

Paul Spencer, 43, and his wife Linda, 59, of Brighouse, West Yorkshire, died when their Gazelle crashed in woodland at Rudding Park on Saturday.

The aircraft had just taken off when it came down at about 1630 GMT in woodland in the resort's grounds.

The wreckage remained cordoned off as experts examined the area looking for clues to the cause of the crash.

North Yorkshire Police said post-mortem examinations are due to take place on Monday.

The Spencers, who ran Country Baskets, a firm which sold dried flowers, were said to be regular visitors to the hotel.

It would appear to be a really tragic incident and our job now is to try to establish the cause Insp Tad Nowakowski, North Yorkshire Police

In a statement, their family said: "Paul and Linda Spencer were a wonderful couple who were devoted to each other and their family.

"They were hugely generous to all around them, often helping people who were less fortunate than themselves.

"From modest beginnings they built a successful business which operated throughout the UK employing hundreds of people.

"Their family and friends have been left devastated by the tragedy, but can take comfort that at the time of the accident they were in one of their favourite places together and doing something they both loved."

A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman confirmed that the bodies of the victims had been removed from the wreckage.

She said the couple's family were "absolutely devastated", and were being supported by specially-trained officers.

Following the crash, the fire service said the area was searched for other casualties but no-one else was found.

An investigation by the police and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch is under way.

Weather forecasters said there had been high winds in the area earlier, which had subsided by the time of the crash but conditions were still gusty.

Insp Tad Nowakowski, from North Yorkshire Police, said it looked like the crash was an accident.

"It would appear to be a really tragic incident and our job now is to try to establish the cause, which will take some time," he said.

A private function at the 2,000-acre hotel and resort, which was recently named the 12th most luxurious in the world, went ahead on Saturday night.

Former guests have included former US presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush senior, former Russian president Mikhail Gorbachev and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, of South Africa.

The landlord of a nearby pub said flights over the hotel, which has an 18-hole championship golf course, occurred daily.