Two men and a woman died when the ex-military Gazelle helicopter came down near Langley Hill Farm in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, on Saturday.

Their bodies have now been taken to Cheltenham General Hospital where post-mortem examinations will be held in the coming days.

A Gloucestershire Police spokeswoman said: "Officers are unable to confirm the identity of those involved in this incident until the post-mortems have been completed. Police at the scene are in the process of looking to recover the helicopter with the help of Air Traffic Investigation."

Crash investigators have been examining the helicopter in the field where it fell.

Emergency services said all those on board were killed in a "wreck of mangled metal". They were all from the Midlands, police said. The helicopter was co-owned and based in Baxterley, near Tamworth, Warwickshire.

Previous part-owner of the Gazelle, Christopher Evans, had recently sold his share in the aircraft, but it was still based at a paddock near his home. He was not available for comment, but spoke to friend and fellow aircraft enthusiast Ken Broomfield after the crash.

Mr Broomfield said: "He said he had a call from the East Midlands police helicopter department because when an aircraft goes missing a search and rescue situation is instigated. He just said that the aircraft had crashed."

Kevin Dickens, spokesman for Great Western Ambulance Service, said no mayday call was received before the crash. "It was just a wreck of mangled metal. It was obviously a tragic scene. People's loved ones have been killed," he said. He added that parts of the helicopter were scattered "over some distance".

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