A pilot has been fined £3,000 for straying into the airspace of a Red Arrows display team during a public air show - almost causing a mid-air collision.

Thousands of spectators were stunned as Martin Buuron's single-propeller Cirrus light aircraft entered the six-mile exclusion zone where the world-famous team were flying at speeds of 220mph.

The Red Arrows were speeding across the seafront at Eastbourne when the commander was "horrified" to see Buuron's plane heading straight for them.

The light aircraft came within a few hundred feet of the oncoming RAF Hawks, which were forced to halt their display until Buuron left the area.

The Red Arrows later resumed their show but then had to return to their base in Bournemouth, Dorset, after running short of fuel.

Buuron was traced after he contacted the flight director of the show after landing at Lydd Airport, in Kent.

Sarah Campbell, prosecuting on behalf of the Civil Aviation Authority, told Eastbourne Magistrates' Court the incident took place on August 14, 2004.

She said: "The aircraft were in their close-9 formation in an arrow shape at a low level travelling west at about 350km per hour along the seafront.

"They had just come out of a roll when the team leader, to his horror, became aware of a light aircraft on the opposite course to them.

"Because of the low level at which it was travelling they received no prior warning it was in their airspace.

"The light aircraft continued to travel at the same height, taking no avoiding action other than descending.

"The team leader was so concerned that the aircraft could collide with one of his team that he broke off the display until the aircraft had cleared the area.

"Had he not done so there was a real potential for a loss of life in the air and on the ground because of a potential collision.

"Mr Buuron was traced by various people taking photographs of the aircraft and he contacted the flight director confirming he was the pilot and later wrote a letter to The Red Arrows apologising."

Buuron, 59, of Essen, in Belgium, admitted negligently acting in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft and its passengers.

The father-of-one also pleaded guilty to flying within a temporary restricted airspace.

Speaking to magistrates at Eastbourne he told the court he was responsible and was the safety pilot in his plane, although another man was actually at the controls.

He said: "I am extremely sorry for what happened. It is a mistake I will never make again."

Magistrates fined Buuron £3,000 and ordered him to pay £450 in court costs.