Hislop inquiry provides 'closure'

Mr Hislop died in the crash in the Borders nearly five years ago

The mother of Scots motorbike star Steve Hislop has said it is time for "closure" following an inquiry into his death in a helicopter crash.

A fatal accident inquiry concluded his aircraft went out of control coming out of cloud near Hawick in July 2003.

Margaret Hislop said that she welcomed the conclusion that the crash had been a "tragic accident" rather than attributing it to pilot error.

She added that after nearly five years the family now needed to "move on".

Mr Hislop, 41, died in the crash in hills near Hawick on 30 July 2003.

It has been left quite open but it is the end of the matter as far as I am concerned Margaret Hislop

After a fatal accident inquiry, Sheriff Principal Edward Bowen QC concluded that it was most likely that emerging from cloud cover had caused a loss of control.

He said he was satisfied "on balance of probabilities" that military jets in the area had not been a contributory factor.

Mrs Hislop said she was pleased the process had finally been concluded.

"I have to put closure on this," she said.

"At least the findings did not say pilot error which we never believed and has put it down to a tragic accident because of the tail boom.

"It has been left quite open but it is the end of the matter as far as I am concerned."

Mrs Hislop added that the family would have to accept some of their questions would remain unanswered.

"What made him change his course that day we will never know but it is finished now and we have to move on," she said.