THE bodies of a pilot and passenger have been recovered by the emergency services after a light aircraft plunged nose first into a lake.

The Yak two-seater aerobatic trainer has been recovered from the three-acre fishing lake off Ulting Lane, Langford.

It crashed at about 1pm yesterday while flying in formation with two other planes, which returned safely to their destination at North Weald airfield.

The stricken plane is thought to have clipped a tree before nose-diving into the lake, watched by stunned fishermen.

Police have yet to reveal the identities of the two people on board.