TWO men who died in a helicopter crash off the East Yorkshire coast have been named by the police.

The pilot was Brian Bridgman, 58, from Canterbury, Kent, and the passenger was John Kent, 50, of Romford, Essex.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is leading the probe into the crash that saw the helicopter, which had taken off from an airport near Edinburgh, ditch into the sea off Flamborough.

The men's bodies were recovered shortly before 5pm, more than three hours after witnesses reported hearing a loud "crack" before seeing the helicopter plummet into the sea below 250ft sheer cliffs.

Video footage released by the RNLI showed a lifeboat crew battling high seas in an attempt to reach the crash site.

The aircraft had been due to refuel at Humberside before heading to Retford in Nottinghamshire.