London helicopter crash - live updates (From Times Series)

2:48pm

Captain Philip Amadeus, managing director of RotorMotion, said: "Our main priority now is for the family of the pilot and we extend our greatest sympathy to the friends and relatives of those who have died and been injured."

2:48pm

Pete Barnes, who has piloted helicopters in action scenes in movies Die Another Day, Tomb Raider II and Saving Private Ryan, worked for flight operator RotorMotion

2:37pm

Two office buildings, 5 cars & 2 motorbikes were damaged by debris from helicopter crash, according to London Fire Brigade.

2:22pm

2:16pm

Under aviation rules, specially designed bright red warning lights must be attached to tall structures on flight paths or near aerodromes.

2:15pm

There is no suggestion that the crane struck by the helicopter was not properly illuminated. But the allegation raises a wider safety issue, especially in London and other cities where there are large numbers of high buildings and cranes.

2:01pm

1:01pm

Met Police Commander Neil Basu said: "It was something of a miracle that this was not many, many times worse."

12:54pm

It is understood that there were lights in place on top of the crane, which were checked twice a day and had been checked yesterday. There had been confusion over whether the lights had been functioning correctly, but it looks increasingly likely that they were obscured by the thick mist shrouding the tower.

12:54pm

At Prime Minister's Questions, David Cameron said the rules for helicopter flights over central London would need to be carefully looked at following this morning's fatal crash.

11:46am

He said: "The crane operator was about to go up. The scaffolders evacuated to here told me there isn't a crane big enough in the UK to get the wreckage down."

11:46am

Mr Walker added: "I ran down with a guy to check the car. No driver but we couldn't get close enough to see the back. I took a guy down to check the car was empty but had to pull back from fire and explosions. That car was later gutted by the fire. There were secondary explosions going on so we had to get back. It was smokey as hell too."

11:46am

Witness Nic Walker said the helicopter crashed on to the street outside his house, setting a car on fire. He said: I pulled on some clothes and ran out to help. There were two people injured on my side of the fire. I think one was a motorcyclist. One seemed to have an eye or brow injury."

11:23am

Police boats patrol the River Thames in front of the damaged crane on top of St Georges Tower, close to the scene where a helicopter crashed in central London.

11:06am

The helicopter did not fly from Gatwick Airport, despite earlier reports to the contrary, according to a spokesman for the airport.

11:00am

10:57am

The damaged crane hangs limply alongside St. George's Tower. Earlier this morning, the top of the crane and the building were blanketed in thick fog.

10:45am

10:42am

Defence expert Paul Beaver said: "We have rules and there are procedures in place for helicopter flight. The River Thames is a safe place to fly through because aircraft can land in the water. It's much more challenging in reduced visibility. It's very much up to the pilot to fly the right route and do the right things."

10:40am

10:38am

10:35am

10:32am

Eyewitness and mother-of-five Sharon Moore, who lives on the Wyvil Estate, said she saw the aircraft slice through the crane ''as if it was a piece of paper''.
Ms Moore, 36, who was with her nine-year-old daughter Tiah, described hearing four bangs and watching two cars explode.

She said: ''My daughter was so traumatised, it was so shocking. It sounded like a massive explosion, like something whining in the sky and then it just went bang.

''You couldn't see a lot at first because of the fog. The helicopter did not seem to know which way to turn and then it just dropped, it sliced, screeching into the metal.

''It sliced it as if it was a piece of paper. It just ripped apart.''

She went on: ''I called the police and they got there in seconds. We could then see them trying to pull people out of the cars.''

10:30am

10:26am

If you'd like to read a more traditional story rather than the live blog, you can do so here.

10:20am

10:14am

9:50am

9:50am

9:49am

Helicopter clipped crane on top of St George's Tower - and crashed into road on top of traffic - one person rescued from burning car, say fire brigade

9:28am

Eyewitnesses say tower block was shrouded in fog; building workers ran for their lives as helicopter crashed into crane on the roof of the tower and debris fell everywhere....

9:24am

9:23am

9:21am

9:16am

Travel update: Vauxhall tube station closed; overground trains running through station but not stopping

9:14am

9:11am

9:00am

Burning wreckage and aviation fuel covered the road as eyewitnesses reported seeing cars on fire and hearing people screaming.

8:48am

8:46am

8:45am

8:42am

8:41am

8:35am

Sources say one person was on board the helicopter when it crashed.

8:34am

Fire and rescue services said they were taking "lots of emergency calls" as eyewitnesses described seeing grey smoke towering into the sky, close to Battersea Bridge, in Vauxhall.
A spokesman for London Fire Brigade was unable to give details but said: "We are taking lots of emergency calls at the moment".

8:32am

8:31am

A helicopter crashed in central London today.