A FORMER Hampshire police officer is believed to have been killed after a vintage aircraft crash in Shoreham on Saturday.

Chauffeur Maurice Abrahams is believed to be among the dead after the jet ploughed into traffic on the A27 in West Sussex.

He had been on his way to pick up a bride-to-be to take her to her wedding when the jet crashed into the road.

Police have said they believed 11 people may have died, although they say the final death toll may be higher.

The 76-year-old's family have paid tribute to Mr Abrahams, who as well as serving as a police officer in Hampshire was also in the Grenadier Guards and Parachute Regiment.

They said: "Maurice is a well-respected and loved father and husband. He enjoyed his work chauffeuring his beloved Daimler car and he enjoyed gardening.

"He was proud to have served in the Grenadier Guards and the Parachute Regiment. He served in Cyprus and Bahrain with the UN. In his thirties he served as a police officer with Hampshire Police."

The pilot of the plane, Andrew Hill, was among those injured and is now fighting for his life after being put into a medically-induced coma.

The plane’s remains may be taken to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch’s facility in Farnborough, Hampshire, for examination.

The crash has sparked calls for safety precautions at public air shows to be tightened and the Civil Aviation Authority has said flying displays by vintage jets will be “significantly restricted until further notice” following the disaster.

The organisation has ruled that vintage jet displays will be limited to flypasts while acrobatic stunts will be banned while the investigation takes place.