A Royal Navy helicopter has crashed into a field in rural Devon, with a major road cordoned off after the accident.
The emergency services were alerted to a crash involving a helicopter in Sourton Down outside Okehampton today.
It was not immediately clear who was flying the helicopter before Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed it belongs to the Royal Navy.
The scene has been sealed off, forcing the A386 and the A30 to Sourton Cross and the service station to close.
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Devon and Cornwall Police said: ‘The incident is ongoing and we will share more updates as we have them.
‘The Ministry of Defence have confirmed it was a Royal Navy helicopter.’
A Royal Navy spokesperson told Metro: ‘An incident occurred involving a Royal Navy helicopter just before 0400 on Wednesday 3 June near Sourton, Devon.
‘An investigation is underway and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.’
The number and condition of any casualties are not yet publicly known.
Eyewitnesses reported hearing a low-flying aircraft before several loud explosions shortly after 3am, followed by a search helicopter hovering in the area.
One local said on social media: ‘Heard a helicopter very low around us at 03.30 this morning, looked out, no lights but sound going towards Okehampton! Hope all ok.’
Another person said: ‘Thought there was a loud bang at 3 this morning.’
The roads have been closed since about 5am.
Traffic alerts show that the A386 is closed northbound from the A30 Sourton Cross to A3079 Holsworthy Road, Fowley Cross.
This blocks off access to the Sourton Down service station, including the Shell petrol pump.
The Royal Navy mainly operates two types of helicopters, the Merlin and Wildcat.
Merlins come in two variations, the Mk2 featuring underwater sonar and weapons capabilities, and the Mk4 nicknamed the ‘Junglies’ used for commando operations.
The smaller Wildcat can land directly on Royal Navy frigates and it is kitted with missiles and torpedoes.
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