Bad weather is continuing to hamper efforts to recover bodies from the wreckage of a helicopter crash in which a well known Hampshire couple were killed.

The pair died when a helicopter they were passengers in crashed into a glacier in New Zealand while they were on holiday.

Tributes have been paid today to Cynthia, 70, known as Helen, and Nigel Charlton, 66, who were among seven people who died in the accident.

It happened when the sightseeing helicopter they were in smashed into Fox Glacier on Saturday.

Nigel and Helen had three grandchildern and had two sons, Daniel and Jason who both grew up in Romsey.

They were deeply involved with their local community with Nigel being a singer in the Romsey Male Voice Choir and they would both frequently fundraise for charity.

In a statement, the couple’s family said that they were “deeply saddened” by their deaths during what was to be their “last big adventure”.

Tributes to the popular couple have poured in as shocked friends and neighbours try to come to terms with the tragedy.

Margaret Astaur, a close friends and neighbour of the couple who lived in Barley Hill, said: “They were the most wonderful people and they loved each other very much.”

The retired 68-year-old added: “Nigel was the compare at the village fete and Helen would sell her crafts there, she was a very talented seamstress.

“Helen loved the garden and Nigel was into model railways and had built a signal box in the garden which he was going to continue working on.

“We are just absolutely shocked, we could not believe it. I think it is going to take a long time to recover from.”

Nigel worked for many years as a dentist in Totton in the practice Charlton’s where Helen also worked as an office manger.

After retiring, Nigel continued to do some work as a dentist and only completely stop working recently so he and Helen could go travelling.

According to their friends, the pair loved to travel and had planned on going to Burma after their trip to New Zealand.

Friend Cathie Wood, retired, said: “I am in disbelief, yesterday morning I seemed alright and then last night I could not stop crying.”

The 71-year-old also from Barley Hill added:”You don’t expect things like this to happen, we heard it on the news and you just think it will be someone else but that it wouldn’t happen here.”

Neighbour Sharon May, 54, a contract manager for the MOD, said: “They are part of the reason we moved here.

“We first looked at the house in March and as we were walking back to the car we saw them, they had just had a log delivery.

“They were so nice and so lovely and friendly and we wanted to move somewhere with a village community spirit.

“They invited us round for dinner when we moved in and we thought we must return the favour and were going to invite them round over Christmas.”

Pat Hinton, 60, had been a friend of the couple’s for the past 40 years, having been a patient of Nigel’s and looked after their house and two cats when they went on holiday.

Mrs Hinton, a carer for her husband from Totton, who had been taking care of the house while the couple were in New Zealand, said: “You could not have wished for a nicer couple, this is just terrible.

“Nigel gave me a list of what they were doing on holiday and when I got the phone call from the police I realised it was them but I could not believe it.

“Nigel was my dentist and then I was their neighbour for years - we even lived with them while my house was being done up.

“They were fabulous, they were so caring and just absolutely wonderful and would do anything for anybody.

“They were more than friends, they were like family.”

Nigel was heavily involved with the Romsey Male Voice Choir singing bass and was also their librarian, spending hours looking after the group’s archive of sheet music.

Chairman Geoff Skinner, 67, said: “Nigel was fantastic and a great team player within the choir - he would spend hours and hours working as the librarian.

“He looked after our sheet music and produced USB sticks with all our music on for each person in the choir.

“He was a very jolly fellow and was very popular with the choir members - he will be greatly missed as will Helen.

“He was absolutely key to the choir and was a fantastic singer.”

Caroline Nokes, Conservative MP for Romsey and Southampton North added her condolences, tweeting: “Such sad news from New Zealand that two Romsey residents were killed in helicopter crash - thoughts with family of Nigel and Helen Charlton.”

Helen and Nigel were travelling with another British couple - Andrew Virco, 50, and his partner Katharine Walker, 51, both from Cambridge when the helicopter crashed around 11am local time on Saturday.

Sovannmony Leang, 27, and Josephine Gibson, 29, both from New South Wales, Australia, also perished along with helicopter pilot Mitchell Gameren, 28, from Queenstown, New Zealand who is believed to have been an experienced flier.

The bodies of three of the victims have been recovered from the crash site and taken to a temporary mortuary facility for formal identification.

 The bodies of four of the victims have now been recovered from the crash site and taken to a temporary mortuary facility nearby for formal identification, which New Zealand Police said may take a number of days.

But it may be Wednesday before the others are recovered because it is expected to worsen during today and Tuesday.

Police said on Monday morning local time, Sunday night GMT, that they were unable to get onto the glacier until the weather clears, with Alpine Cliff Rescue team leader Marius Bron saying working on the ice was ''like working on popcorn''.

Reports in New Zealand said Mr Gameren was believed to be an experienced flier, who was piloting the helicopter for working for Fox Glacier Heliservices, which also trades as Alpine Adventures.

In a statement the firm said: ''Fox Heliservices' thoughts are with the families of the passengers and pilot. The pilot was a very valued member of our team.''

''The New Zealand Police and Civil Aviation Authority have taken over the investigation.''

Fox Glacier is the longest on the west coast of the South Island, travelling from the edge of the Mount Cook National Park in the Southern Alps towards the west coast on the Tasman Sea.

The flight was organised by Fox Glacier Heliservices, which also trades as Alpine Adventures, and in a statement they said: “Fox Heliservices’ thoughts are with the families of the passengers and pilot.

“The pilot was a very valued member of our team.

“The New Zealand Police and Civil Aviation Authority have taken over the investigation.”