A pilot and his passenger had a lucky escape when they were forced to make a crash landing in a field near Southend Airport.

The challenger microlight aircraft developed technical problems and made a forced landing in a field between Nestuda Way and Prince Avenue, in Eastwood, only minutes after taking off from Southend Airport.

Firefighters arrived at the scene to find the two occupants of the fibre glass aircraft, Kevin Dupey and Leigh Graham, had got out safely.

The plane suffered minor damage.