Woman pilot, 40s, dies when her light aircraft crashes near airfield
A female pilot flying solo has died after her light aircraft crashed near an airfield.
The woman, in her 40s, was killed after the plane crashed near Dunkeswell Airfield in Devon on Friday morning.
Residents reported a multi-agency response to the crash site, including ambulance, air ambulance, fire crews and police. The pilot was pronounced dead at the scene.
Devon and Cornwall Police said the woman's next of kin has been informed, while the Air Accident Investigation Branch has been notified.
Superintendent Jo Arundale said: 'We will be working closely with the Air Accident Investigation Branch to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash this morning.
'We recognise it is a very sad incident and we are appealing to the public not to speculate regarding the crash.
'Furthermore, we would like to ask anybody who may have relevant footage to get in touch with us and not to post it online.
'Our thoughts are with the friends and family of the person involved.'
A female pilot in her 40s was killed after her plane crashed near Dunkeswell Airfield in Devon on Friday morning
Local residents reported a multi-agency response to the site, including ambulance, air ambulance, fire crews and police. The pilot was pronounced dead at the scene
A spokesman for the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust said: 'We were called at 10:01hrs on Friday 26 June to an incident near Honiton.
'We sent a double-crewed land ambulance, an air ambulance, a hazardous area response team, an operations officer and a responding officer to the scene.'
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service confirmed it had sent three fire engines to the scene this morning, Somerset Live reported.
Anybody with relevant footage is asked to call Devon and Cornwall Police on 101 quoting log 268 of June 26.
Dunkeswell Airfield has previously been at the centre of three fatalities within the past year.
Skydiver Charles McNeil, known as Chas, plummeted to the ground after his parachute failed to deploy for 'some unknown reason', an inquest heard in March.
The 49-year-old former soldier had been doing a wingsuit jump with a friend in February when he died using his own personal parachute equipment, according to Skydive South West.
His death followed that of two people last June when their parachutes failed to open during a tandem jump from 15,000 feet.
Inquests into the deaths of mum-of-four Belinda Taylor, 48, and instructor Adam Harrison, 30, were opened previously by Devon Coroner's Court in Exeter.
British Skydiving, the police and local authority are all investigating the deaths and inquests have been adjourned to a later date.
This is breaking news, more follows.
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
