A CEREMONY has taken place to mark 20-years since a crash near a Cumbrian village killed two members of an RAF Leeming squadron.

A lone Hawk jet flew over Shap in commemoration of the tragic crash on October 22, 1999 which killed Squadron Leader Mike Andrews and Flight Lieutenant Steve Todd.

The pair died when their 100 Squadron Hawk crashed whilst on a training mission.

Whilst several houses and a vehicle were damaged in the incident, miraculously nobody on the ground was injured.

On Tuesday, a service took place in St Michael’s Church attended by Shap residents, members of 2199 Workington ATC and personnel from 100 Sqn.

It was followed by wreath-laying at a memorial plaque near the crash site and a Hawk flew over at 1.13pm – marking the exact time of the crash.

Wing Commander Nick Badel, of 100 Sqn, said: “It was a long time ago now, but there are still people in the local community who remember and there are still people in the service who knew the individuals who died.

"It’s through adversity that you start to build relationships and we have maintained that with the people of Shap since that time.

“Today was very touching and poignant. It wasn’t just about losing two servicemen, but the close proximity of the crash to Shap and the impact it had on the local people.”