Four persons are believed to be dead after a helicopter crashed near Cley-next-the-Sea, North Norfolk.

The helicopter that crashed yesterday was an American HH-60G Pave Hawk based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, a spokesman for the USAF confirmed. No British military personnel is believed to have been involved.

“Police are currently dealing with a single helicopter crash in the Cley area, on the North Norfolk coast. There are believed to be four fatalities. Officers are on the scene, with a 400 metre area cordoned off,” Norfolk Police said.

Confusion prevailed earlier over whether the chopper had ditched in the sea or came down over land, with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution urged to press lifeboats into action.

“We were asked for three lifeboats to respond to reports that an aircraft had possibly ditched in the sea. Lifeboats Wells, Sheringham and Cromer were launched at the request of the coastguard but were stood down when it was confirmed that the aircraft had come down over land,” a spokesman for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution said.

Police has asked the residents to stay in-doors but pedestrians and motorists were being diverted away as there was live ammunition on board, which could have posed a threat to the public.

A number of cordons were in place, closing nearby residential streets. Around a dozen emergency vehicles from the fire brigade, coastguard and police were at the scene.

Cley artist Rachel Lockwood, from the village’s Pinkfoot Gallery, said: “We had never seen so many police cars and fire engines, so went to have a look.

“The beach road to Cley is sealed off. There are lots of fire engines near the Dun Cow pub at Salthouse. A helicopter is hovering over the marsh with a light beaming down.”

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