A man has paid tribute to his “best friend” who was unlawfully killed in the Shoreham air show disaster following the conclusion of an inquest into the tragedy.

Shane Ruddock, 31, lost his friend and cycling partner Richard Smith when a Hawker Hunter jet crashed on to the A27 following a failed loop.

Mr Smith, 26, was one of the 11 men who died in the horror. He was killed while cycling to meet another friend in the South Downs.

Shane, who lives near Godalming in Surrey, said: “I remember getting a message to tell me that my best friend had died. Nothing prepares you for that.

“His enthusiasm for cycling was boundless. He always believed that life rewards you for progress and it feels like he died for nothing.

“The families need answers. That’s not good enough for us.

“He deserves more. They all deserve more.”

Shane said Richard had been the inspiration behind him cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats and that his friend had given him invaluable advice.

After crediting Richard for getting him into cycling, he added that he “wished he would have got to see these things”.

An inquest into the deaths of the victims of the crash has concluded that they were unlawfully killed.

The pilot, Andrew Hill, was cleared of manslaughter by gross negligence.

The Argus: Richard Smith, 26, who was one of the 11 victims of the disasterRichard Smith, 26, who was one of the 11 victims of the disaster

Senior Coroner Penelope Schofield said: “Eleven innocent lives were cruelly lost on August 22 2015. Lives that were cut way too short.

“This huge loss will be worn by the families for the rest of their lives.

“It has been a long journey, some seven years for you, to get the answers you wanted.”

Sarah Stewart, partner at law firm Stewarts, who represented a number of families in the disaster, said after the conclusion: “The families we represent would like to thank the senior coroner for her thorough investigation.

“The senior coroner has found that the deaths of the 11 innocent men in the Shoreham Airshow disaster on 22 August 2015 were avoidable.

The Argus: The aftermath of the Shoreham airshow disasterThe aftermath of the Shoreham airshow disaster (Image: Martyn Valentine)

“The bereaved families have waited more than seven years to reach this point and, although the senior coroner’s conclusion will not ease the pain of their loss, their voices have been heard.”