Farage pilot 'made death threats'

The pilot of the plane that crashed and injured Nigel Farage during a polling day stunt has been charged with threatening to kill the Ukip leader in what is described as a separate incident.

Justin Adams, 45, had been contracted to fly the light aircraft which nose-dived to the ground while towing a campaign banner on 6 May, the day of the general election. Mr Farage, who escaped with broken ribs, bruised lungs and facial injuries, later declared himself "the luckiest man alive".

Mr Adams was arrested at his home in Faringdon, Oxfordshire, on Sunday. He appeared before magistrates in the city on Tuesday charged with two counts of making threats to kill, was remanded in custody and will appear again on 7 December.

It is believed the second count Mr Adams faces relates to the threatening of an aviation official.

An Air Accidents Investigation Branch report found the PZL-104 Wilga 35A came down after the banner reading: "Vote for your country: Vote Ukip", became wrapped around the tail of the aircraft. This caused the plane's nose to drop and although Mr Adams "maintained some control of the aircraft," he could not prevent it crashing into a field at Hinton-in-the-Hedges in Northamptonshire.