Uni mourns plane crash lecturer

David Leslie had taught at the university for the past three years

Colleagues of a motorsport lecturer who was among five people killed in a private jet crash have paid tribute to a "committed and likeable" figure.

Former British Touring Car champion David Leslie, 54, had been teaching part-time at Swansea Metropolitan University for the past three years.

He died when the plane crashed into a house in Farnborough, Kent, on Sunday.

Fellow lecturer Alan Hughes said: "Our students benefited greatly from his presence at lectures."

Mr Hughes added: "David was highly respected throughout the motorsport industry. He organised a number of high profile visits for the students to places like Silverstone, Prodrive and Ricardo Motorsport."

Head of the university's school of automotive engineering Roger Dowden said colleagues and students were shocked at the news.

"David approached his lecturing like he approached everything else in his life, nothing was second best," he added.

"He showed a huge level of commitment to his students travelling down from Oxford to deliver his lectures.

"He recently voluntarily represented the university at an Autosport show in Birmingham. He added considerable creditability to our courses."

David Leslie (left) with students at a visit to motorsport company Prodrive

Mr Leslie was a former British touring car racer and had also worked as a commentator since retiring in 2003.

Another former racing driver, 63-year-old Richard Lloyd, was also reported to have died in the crash.

The names of the other victims have not been confirmed, although they are believed to include pilot Mike Roberts.

Leslie won nine races in a 13-year BTCC career and finished second in the championship behind Frenchman Laurent Aiello in 1999.

Investigators were at the scene of the crash on Monday to remove the bodies as they sifted through wreckage to find out what caused the tragedy.

The twin-engined Cessna Citation I plane crashed into a house and burst into flames.