The 91-year-old man who crashed his microlight into a tree in Edenbridge at the weekend has been named.

Peter Stubberfield was trapped in the plane, tangled in foliage 15ft above the ground, for more than two hours before being freed by firefighters.

He suffered multiple injuries in the crash on Saturday including three broken ribs, bruising to his chest, cuts to his neck and serious injuries to both thumbs.

Mr Stubberfield, who has been flying microlights for at least 20 years, was initially taken to Tunbridge Wells Hospital, Pembury, but later transferred to a London hospital.

Friend Bill Palmer has retired to Derbyshire but flew with Mr Stubberfield from a farm strip in Haxted, not far from the crash site, for more than 20 years.

He said: “He’s been flying microlights for more than 20 years at Haxted and was flying elsewhere before joining us. He certainly is passionate about it and he’s no silly old fool. You will be amazed at the age of a lot of microlight pilots.

“He would have had a medical every 12 months and the aircraft would have been checked mechanically and flown by a check pilot, also every 12 months.

“Everyone from Haxted wishes him well.”

The crash happened in a field off Lingfield Road at about 3.15pm.

Emergency services worked together to free Mr Stubberfield, who lives in the village of Whyteleafe in Surrey.

A Kent Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “Crews used lines, ladders and a winch to secure the microlight. They then extracted the 91-year-old pilot.”

Mr Stubberfield was freed at 5.20pm and handed over to paramedics, including members of South East Coast Ambulance Service’s Hazardous Area Response Team (HART).

No one else was in the microlight.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) is investigating.

A spokesman said: “A team of AAIB investigators was deployed to the accident site to start an investigation.

"The wreckage was later recovered to our headquarters at Farnborough for more detailed examination and we will publish a report on our findings when our investigation is complete.

"If any safety issues are identified, we may issue safety recommendations intended to prevent similar accidents in the future.”