The wife of a pilot who was killed when his helicopter crashed into the sea off Orkney has spoken of her shock at his death.

Anthony Taylor, 53, died when his aircraft came down in the sea about 200 yards from the Brough of Birsay on Friday morning.

He was the only person on board the twin-engined Bolkow 105 helicopter, operated by Bond Air Services, at the time of the crash.

Speaking from the couple's home in Insch, Aberdeenshire, his wife Sue, 54, said the former Army Air Corps pilot was popular with friends and colleagues and would be missed.

Anthony Taylor: "Highly respected"

She said: "You've only got to talk to his colleagues and the many people he knew in his army career to realise how well regarded he was a pilot and as a person.

"I'm okay at the moment because he went away on Thursday and was not due back for a week, so it's like he is still away on duty.

"I haven't seen Tony's body yet, so it still hasn't really sunk in. I think the worst is still to come."

The couple had known one another since they were 15, but only married two-and-a-half years ago.

Although they had both been married to other people before, the pair kept in touch.

Very difficult

After meeting again 11 years ago, they eventually married.

Mrs Taylor said that her husband's two daughters, 28-year-old Vivian and Sarah, 27, are struggling to come to terms with their father's death.

"They both thought the world of their dad and it's very difficult for them."

Mr Taylor was a sergeant in the Army Air Corps, where he was a helicopter pilot.

He left after 17 years and joined Bond Air Services, who owned the helicopter he was flying at the time of the accident.

Tony was an experienced and highly regarded pilot

Peter Bond

Investigations into the cause of the crash are continuing and are expected to last into next week.

Mr Taylor's former colleagues paid their own tributes to him.

The company's executive chairman Peter Bond paid tribute to Mr Taylor as he sent his condolences to his family.

"Tony was an experienced and highly regarded pilot who had been with Bond for more than 20 years.

"We are deeply saddened by his death and he will be greatly missed by all of us," he said.

The Northern Lighthouse Board said the German-built Bolkow 105 Bond helicopter was contracted to carry out work on its behalf at the lighthouse.