Shoreham crash: 200 people call Sussex Police over fears of missing friends and relatives

At least 11 people have been confirmed dead so far

People leave flowers for the victims near the scene where the Hawker Hunter came down (Reuters)

Hundreds of people have rung police concerned their relatives may have been caught up in the Sussex air show crash that has so far claimed 11 lives.

Sussex police have received calls from more than 200 people concerned their friends and relatives may have been caught up in the crash.

The numbers come as senior officers said they were “not prepared to speculate” on a final death toll.

Officers have confirmed at least 11 people died when the 1950s fighter Hawker Hunter jet attempted a loop manoeuvre over Shoreham air show, run by Royal Air Force Association (RAFA), on Saturday but crashed into the busy A27 into Brighton at around 1.20pm.

Around 300 officers and support staff have continued to investigate the site where 51-year-old pilot Andy Hill, who remains in hospital in a critical condition, crashed.

Although 14 people were also injured in the incident, a police spokesperson said the estimate of 11 people – not all of whom have been named – was holding as officers’ work on the crash site continued.

"As a result of lifting the jet, we have not discovered any evidence of further victims and our estimate of 11 highly likely victims remains in place,” Assistant Chief Constable Steve Barry said.

“However, until we have fully completed the search of what is an extensive scene, I must caution that there is still the possibility that we may discover evidence of further victims, but I am not prepared to speculate on that figure."

The search area will be extended beyond the initial 400m around the immediate crash site, with a police spokesperson confirming that a second and third “finger tip” search of the site would be conducted in order to recover all possible forensic evidence.