A witness who was at the airport with his family said he saw a “big fireball” after the plane “crashed head first into the ground.”

London Southend Airport in Essex said that it has closed operations until further notice after the police said a small plane crashed at the airport on England's south-east coast on Sunday.

An aircraft has crashed at London Southend Airport, police have confirmed. Emergency services are responding to the incident in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, where a 12-metre plane is reported to be on fire. Police said as a precaution officers have evacuated the Rochford Hundred Golf Club and Westcliff Rugby Club due to its proximity to the incident.