Two men were killed in a helicopter crash in Lancashire yesterday, police said.

A mayday signal was first sent from the craft as it flew over Poulton-le-Fylde, near Blackpool, around 12.10pm.

Around 40 minutes later the aircraft was located at Barnaby Sands, an area of salt marsh on the Lancashire coast near Fleetwood.

Just two people were believed to be on board and both casualties were confirmed dead at the scene of the crash, Lancashire Police said.

Emergency services were last night carrying out a recovery operation.

Police said the two fatalities were both male, but their families were yet to be informed and identities could not be released.

It was not known last night what had caused the crash.

Lancashire Police said that the helicopter was on a training flight and that the learner was the passenger.

The area where the helicopter came down is a nature reserve managed by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust.

Police secured the scene and the investigation was under way with help from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.

A spokesman from Ventbrook Air Ltd, a helicopter training school in Blackpool, paid tribute to the dead pilot.

He said: “The pilot was a really nice man and a good friend of mine.

“He was an experienced pilot and was flying with a student.”

He added: “We can confirm that the helicopter that went down was not one from Ventbrook.”