A pilot and his passenger walked away uninjured after their plane crashed in countryside.

Fire crews were called to the field at West End, Hornton, near Banbury, at 3.40pm yesterday after the single-engine aircraft crashed into a tree. The plane was seriously damaged.

The pilot and passenger managed to get out of the plane without any help.

Firefighters stopped a fuel leak and took advice from the Air Investigation Branch of the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure the aircraft was made safe before leaving the scene.

Station manager Paul Debling, of Oxfordshire Fire Service, said: “The pilot and his passenger were very lucky to be able to walk away uninjured.”