Shoreham plane crash: Scaffolder who parked and watched air show from roadside named as latest victim

Mark Reeves, 53, lived with his wife in East Sussex

Floral tributes are left by representatives of the emergency services, close to the scene of the disaster (PA)

A 53-year-old man from East Sussex has been named as a victim of the Shoreham air disaster.

Mark Reeves, a scaffolder, became the fifth victim of the tragedy in which a Hawker Hunter jet crashed into the busy A27 in West Sussex on Saturday.

It is believed 11 people lost their lives in the disaster.

The grandfather, who lived in Seaford with his wife, had decided to park up and watch the air show from the roadside because he did not have a ticket to enter the air field, it has been reported.

“We want to pay tribute in our own way and we are planning to release a statement soon,” his son Luke said last night, according to The Times.

The other known victims include 23-year-old footballers Matthew Grimstone and Jacob Schilt, 24-year-old personal trainer Matt Jones and 76-year-old chauffeur Maurice Abrahams.

Relatives of Mark Trussler and Daniele Polito have said both men are missing.

The pilot of the plane, Andy Hill, failed to complete a loop manoeuvre immediately before the crash. He remains in a critical and stable condition, according to the BBC.

Yesterday, Sussex Police Chief Constable Giles York said 200 people were working at the scene to help identify the victims.

In a statement, he said: “It is an incredibly challenging scene. Weather has hampered the speed at which the investigation is being carried out. There is a danger of evidence being lost and that is why we are preserving the scene for so long.

"We are determined that we will find answers for families who have lost their loved ones, we have 24 dedicated family liaison officers helping families and we are working in support of the coroner to allow her to carry out her inquests."

Many air shows were scheduled to take place over the Bank Holiday weekend. But following Saturday’s tragedy, CarFest South air display has been cancelled and Skylive Airshow in County Durham has been rescheduled for next May.

Skylive’s Chris Petty said: “We had put together an excellent programme of events, but clearly the tragedy at Shoreham has focused us to consider very carefully whether it would be right to go ahead.”

Other air shows will still go ahead but with some alterations to their schedules.

Two planes due to perform at Wings and Wheels in Surrey this weekend will be restricted to only performing flypasts.

“High-energy manoeuvres” will not be performed at Devon’s Dartmouth Royal Regatta. A spokesman for the show told PA: “Because the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are classing Dartmouth as over land [the pilot] cannot perform high-energy manoeuvres. He’s going to slow everything down and not do any acrobatics.”

A Hawker Hunter plane has been replaced by a Yak-11 for the Little Gransden Air and Car show in Cambridgeshire.

Rhyl Air Show will go ahead with no changes, as will Clacton Airshow, which is set to begin with a tribute to the victims of the Shoreham disaster.

Additional reporting by PA