Rag'n'Bone Man responds to plane crash reports

A pilot was killed when the light aircraft he was flying burst into flames and crashed in a remote location near Heathfield.

Emergency services attended the scene on Tuesday afternoon but the pilot reportedly died instantly.

An insider was quoted as telling the Sun: "What’s happened is shocking. It’s a tragic situation. Everyone’s devastated for the pilot and his poor family. It’s a rural area. It’s stunned the locals."

A source also told the publication: "If it had been a bit closer to the house the outcome doesn’t bear thinking about.

A pilot died after a plane crashed and caught fire off Herring Lane, near Heathfield

"There’s no doubt Rag’n’Bone Man had a lucky escape. It happened in a field around the back."

The reports sparked concern among fans of the Human singer, so he has since issued a response.

Rag'n'Bone Man, real name Rory Charles Graham, took to social media to reassure fans that he is safe and well and was not affected by the crash in any way.

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Posting to his Instagram stories, the 25-year-old labelled what the insider said as "bulls**t".

He later wrote on Facebook: "I f*****g hate the Sun. Absolute scumbags trying to tie this poor guys death to me.

"It’s not even close to my house.

Rag'n'Bone Man

"If you buy the Sun then stop."

The pilot who died was today named.

Richard Warriner, 65, from Burwash, had been flying a light aircraft that came down near Herrings Lane just after 11am on Tuesday.

His body was recovered from the wreckage.

Fire crews rushed to the scene and arrived to find the plane alight.

They worked quickly to extinguish the fire and were joined by ambulance crews and the police.

The crash has now been passed on to the Air Investigation Branch (AAIB) for investigation.

The government organisation is responsible for “investigating civil aircraft accidents and serious incidents within the UK, its overseas territories and crown dependencies”.

An AAIB spokesman said: “Our purpose is to improve aviation safety by determining the circumstances and causes of air accidents and serious incidents, and promoting action to prevent reoccurrence.”

Rag’n’Bone man was born in the village of Uckfield, less than seven miles away from the site of the crash.