Four people were killed when their light aircraft crashed into a Sussex farm field.

Ambulance chiefs confirmed that all four people on board died when the plane came down at Blacklands Farm in Sharpthorne, near East Grinstead, at about 2.25pm on Saturday.

The aircraft is so badly damaged that emergency workers have so far been unable to say what type it was or where it had come from.

One witness who came upon the crash scene said: "It looks just like someone has had a bonfire there. You can't even see that it was a plane."

Trevor Jennings, senior duty officer with Sussex Ambulance Service, said: "I was down there this afternoon and it looked pretty bad.

"The plane had come down and there was a substantial amount of debris about.

"The area is surrounded by woodland but it didn't seem to hit any trees, just a grass field area at this farm.

"It is difficult at this stage to know what type of aircraft it is but it looked like a light aircraft to me."

The plane did not hit any buildings or people as it smashed into the ground.

Inspector Michael Pollitt of Sussex Police said: "A full air accident investigation has been launched."