A TRAINEE pilot was killed when his microlight crashed in the county at the weekend.

The man, who has not been named, triggered a 24-hour search when he took off on a two-hour training flight from Rochester Airport on Friday but failed to return.

His body was found beside the wreckage of the distinctive yellow and black aircraft close to the Thames Estuary, near Cliffe.

The discovery came at 1.30pm, on Saturday, almost 24 hours after he took off from the airport in Maidstone Road, Chatham.

The victim was believed to be in his early 40s and was a married man. His family have been notified.

* Full story in Monday's Medway Messenger.