Two men and a woman have died after their private helicopter crashed on farmland.

The ex-military Gazelle helicopter came down near Langley Hill Farm in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire.

Emergency services described how all three people on board were killed in the "wreck of mangled metal".

Police said they were all from the Midlands.

Residents in Winchcombe, an affluent town in the heart of the Cotswolds, reacted with shock.

Kevin Dickens, spokesman for Great Western Ambulance Service, said no mayday call was received before the crash.

He said: "It was just a wreck of mangled metal. It was obviously a tragic scene. People's loved ones have been killed."

He said parts of the helicopter were scattered "over some distance".

The Air Accident Investigation Board said the helicopter was flying from Stratford-on-Avon and was due to land at Yeovilton, Somerset.

A woman living on an adjoining farm said the helicopter came down in heavy mist.

She said: "It's an awful tragedy and it's amazing we didn't see or hear it come down.

"We were all out and about this morning but my neighbour, Gill, came across the wreckage as she put out her animals.

"It was on fire and was still burning after emergency services arrived.

"It's a horrible situation for everyone concerned - there are ambulances and rescue crews still here now."

Gloucestershire Police stopped access to the farm while the bodies were removed by the local coroner.

A spokesman for the force confirmed the private helicopter was ex-military and not "a local aircraft". Next of kin had been informed, he added.

The Gazelle is a French-designed helicopter which can hold five people, including the pilot.

It has a top speed of 193mph and is used by both the military, for reconnaissance, and by private pilots.

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