Families of Second World War airmen today defended an aviation historian convicted of excavating without a licence at the crash site where a hero pilot died.

Andrew Saunders was charged with tampering with the remains of Flying Officer George Kosh's Hawker Tempest aircraft which crashed in June 1944.

He pleaded guilty at Hove Crown Court to one count of tampering with and removing parts of the aircraft and also removing human remains and personal possessions of Mr Kosh.

He was given a one-year conditional discharge for what was described as the "technical offence" of carrying out the excavation without a proper licence.

Saunders said he felt "desperately sorry" for Mr Kosh's family but he felt vindicated.

He said: "I would first like to apologise unreservedly to his family for the distress caused by this case.

"I take full responsibility for all actions taken at the time of the investigation seven years ago.

"I want to stress that all those actions were taken in good faith and with the firm belief they were in the best interests of all concerned and primarily the family of Flying Officer Ted Kosh.

"While I pleaded guilty to the technical offence of carrying out an excavation without a licence, I must reiterate that a licence had been applied for and was subsequently granted.

"For over 30 years I have helped families in seeking loved ones missing in World War Two and placed memorials to commemorate those who made the ultimate sacrifice. I will continue to do so."

Saunders is an acknowledged expert and author on the battles which took place over the skies of Sussex and Kent and a director of Tangmere museum which is dedicated to Second World War pilots killed in action.

He has investigated the cases of many pilots reported missing in action after their aircraft were shot down.

In a number of cases he has successfully located aircraft wreckage and returned the remains of aircrew to their relatives for full military burial.

The families of pilots who died described Saunders as an "honest and honourable" man.

The family of Pilot Officer Arthur Clarke was told his remains had never been discovered.

Saunders found Mr Clarke's body and put up a memorial at the crash site.

Peter Clarke, the pilot's brother, said: "Andrew Saunders brought 46 years years of not knowing anything about what happened to my brother to an end."

Saunders, 47, of St Mary's Road, Hastings, excavated Mr Kosh's crash site in 1995, a month before he received official permission from the MoD to do so.

The case was brought after a member of the excavation party claimed Saunders "fiddled through" Mr Kosh's torso left in the wreckage of his plane.

However, Judge David Rennie rejected the statement of Anthony Rogers, a photographer on the dig at Rye Marsh Farm, near Winchelsea, saying it was fuelled by lies.

Mr Kosh's sister, Mrs Rosemary Bowden, did not wish to comment.