Service to mark 11 years since Shoreham air crash

A service to mark the 11th anniversary of the Shoreham air crash will be held in the town on Saturday afternoon.

Eleven men were killed on 22 August 2015 when pilot Andrew Hill crashed a vintage Hawker Hunter jet on to the A27 while attempting to perform a mid-air stunt.

Rev Pat Alden, a retired priest working at St Nicholas Church in Old Shoreham, sais this service is not solely to honour those who died.

"An awful lot of people were affected, and continue to be affected. This is also for them," she said.

Alongside the 11 deceased, 16 people were injured with many others affected by the traumatic events of that day.

Alden says that while this service will be more "low key" compared to the events held to mark the 10th anniversary last year, it is "just as important".

The service will see the names of the men read out on the Old Shoreham Toll Bridge at 13:22 BST, the exact time the plane crashed 11 years ago.

Mr Hill, who was blamed for the men's deaths at an inquest but cleared of manslaughter, had a final legal challenge to get his licence reinstated turned down last year.

Matthew Jones, 24, a personal trainer from Littlehampton

Daniele Polito, 23, from Goring-by-Sea, was travelling in the same car as Mr Jones

Matthew Grimstone, 23, a Worthing United footballer who worked as a groundsman at Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club

Jacob Schilt, 23, was also a Worthing United player and was travelling to a match with Mr Grimstone

Maurice Abrahams, 76, from Brighton, was a chauffeur on his way to pick up a bride on her wedding day

Richard Smith, 26, from Hove, was going for a bike ride on the South Downs

Dylan Archer, 42, from Brighton, was also on the bike ride with Mr Smith

Mark Reeves, 53, from Seaford, had ridden his motorcycle to the perimeter of Shoreham Airport to take photos of the planes

Tony Brightwell, 53, from Hove, was an aircraft enthusiast and had learnt to fly at Shoreham airfield

Mark Trussler, 54, from Worthing, had gone to watch the display on his motorbike and was standing next to the road

James "Graham" Mallinson, 72, from Newick, was a photographer and retired engineer

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