A man in his 70s has died after a plane crashed into a field in a village between Halstead and Sudbury.

Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to the incident near the A131 in Pebmarsh at about 9.25am on Monday. 

A man in his 70s, the sole occupant of the aircraft, was found dead at the scene. 

Officers continue to work alongside investigators with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) to establish the circumstances around the incident.

Sudbury Mercury: Road closure at scene of plane crash Road closure at scene of plane crash (Image: Contributed)

A road closure has been put in place in Pebmarsh Road and it is expected to remain in place overnight and into Tuesday while these enquiries continue.  

A spokesman for Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said crews from Sudbury were assisting colleagues from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service at the scene. 

A spokeswoman for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said in a statement on Monday morning: "We were called to an incident on Pebmarsh Road in Halstead this morning at 9.22am.

"On arrival firefighters reported that a light aircraft was on fire. Firefighters from Colchester, Halstead and Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service worked to quickly extinguish the fire.

"The incident was handed over to the police."

An AAIB spokesman said: "A light aircraft accident near Halstead, in Essex, was reported to the AAIB this morning and a team has been sent to the scene to investigate.”

The death of the man comes after a pilot was airlifted to hospital following a plane crash in the grounds of Heveningham Hall, near Halesworth in east Suffolk, on the afternoon of Thursday, July 6.

An 87-year-old pilot was killed during a plane crash in nearby Beccles on March 24 last year.

Anyone with any information about the Pebmarsh crash is being asked to contact Essex Police, quoting the incident number 270 of August 21.