The pilot of a light aircraft which crashed in a Kent orchard on Saturday afternoon was fighting for his life today.

Police say that the pilot of the bi-plane may have been attempting to carry out a low-speed aerobatic manoeuvre shorly before his aircraft plunged to the ground.

The plane came down about 4pm on Saturday in an orchard off Matts Hill Road, Rainham,near the M2.

The plane,which had taken off from Rochester Airport about an hour before, burst into flames after the crash.

People from a nearby house used fire extinguishers in an attempt to put the flames out and attempted to pull the pilot from the burning wreckage.

He was eventually pulled free by firefighters.

Crews from Medway were first on the scene, followed by others from Strood and Gillingham

Medway Red Watch crew manager Dave Devine praised the actions of the people who attempted to rescue the pilot.

He said:"They're the ones who gave the pilot the opportunity to survive. Without their involvement, he wouldn't even be in a critical and stable condition."

The pilot, the only person on board the plane, was flown by air ambulance to a specialist burns unit at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex.

The man, who lives in Kent but who has not yet been named, is in a critical condition with life-threatening burns to his arms and face.

Jonathan Witherden, 17, was standing in a field at Little Magpie Farm when he saw the plane do a barrel roll and fall from the sky.

"I saw it go up and around. Then it did a flip and I heard a big crash and then I saw smoke coming up from the trees."

Air accident investigators were due to arrive at the crash scene on Saturday night.

Full story in Monday's print edition of the Medway Messenger