An aerobatics pilot returning from an air show was forced to make an emergency landing when his wheels got stuck.

Lance Nicol was preparing to land at Shoreham Airport after performing in his Yak 50 Russian plane at Airbourne 2003 in Eastbourne with the Yakovlevs Display Team.

The undercarriage would not come down and rather than bailing out over the sea, Mr Nicol prepared to land without wheels on the grass runway.

Fire crews from Shoreham and Worthing were put on standby at the scene as he glided in at 3.50pm yesterday.

Mr Nicol, whose team is based in Sailsbury, turned off the engine and fuel system before touching down. He landed safely but the plane took a beating as it bumped to the ground, suffering damage to its fuselage and propellers.

Mr Nicol said he had been flying for 20 years and had never experienced the problem before.

He said: "I've been doing this for a long time.

"There were a lot of emergency checks to do prior to landing so you don't have time to get scared They keep your mind occupied."