TWO members of a family from Carnforth were among the four people who died when a helicopter crashed in a South Lakeland field.

Peter John Patrick, 68, of Arkholme, and his son Andy James Patrick, 37, of Askwith, North Yorkshire, were in the Robinson R44 helicopter when it crashed into a field at Sillfield Farm, Gatebeck, near Endmoor, on Friday night.

Police say the helicopter took off from Carnforth destined for a shooting trip in Lochmaben, near Lockerbie, at around 7pm but when they failed to arrive the alarm was raised.

A massive search operation was launched involving an RAF helicopter from RAF Leeming, the coastguard and local mountain rescue teams.

The wreckage of the craft was found at around 11.15am on Saturday by a farm worker checking livestock at Sillfield Farm, which is owned by well-known wild boar farmer Peter Gott.

Police closed local roads around the crash site which was described as "very difficult and inaccessible."

Incident manager Jim Fay from Kendal Fire Station said: "We took one fire engine and Land Rover and a major rescue vehicle from Kendal and one fire engine from Milnthorpe but by the time we got there the police had established a cordon around the site and our services were not required. But we stayed around for an hour to see if there was anything we could do."

Gatebeck resident Alan Smith said he had heard the sound of the RAF helicopter combing the area on Friday night.

"I was shocked when I found out what had happened. You just don't expect something like that in a small hamlet like this," said Mr Smith.

Gary Priestley, 39, of Hipperholme, Halifax, and Tim Mark Newburn, 39, of Baycliff Bridge, Brighouse, West Yorkshire, also lost their lives.

Roger Bingham, Cumbria county councillor for Lower Kentdale, which includes Gatebeck, was quick to offer his assistance to the emergency services at the crash site.

"Our hearts go out to the relatives of those involved. I am also mightily relieved that no-one was hurt on the ground," he said.

Officials from the Air Accident Investigation Branch carried out inquiries at the scene on Saturday and Sunday and the wreckage of the helicopter was removed from the field on Sunday and taken to Farnborough in Hampshire where investigations will continue.

South Cumbrian coroner Ian Smith is due to open inquests into the deaths later this week.