Helicopter crash: MP says “terrible tragedy” awful for victims and witnesses

London Fire Brigade photo of the scene in Vauxhall. Picture: London Fire Brigade/PA Wire

Wednesday, January 16, 2013
12:29 PM

The MP for Vauxhall has described today’s helicopter crash as a “terrible tragedy” that was awful for the families who lost loved ones and for those who witnessed the crash.

Kate Hoey said some residents had been moved out because the crane was not yet stable.

The Labour MP told BBC News: “We will need a real inquiry into increasing numbers of helicopters flying around London, coupled with the fact there are so many new tall buildings.

“Maybe people have become a little bit complacent - we’ll have to look at that, but maybe that’s for another day.”

She said that if the helicopter had not come down in the road but had hit the large apartment buildings nearby, the situation would have been a major catastrophic event.

There would always be a need for some helicopters, such as police aircraft, she said.

But she added: “I think maybe we’ve come to take it almost for granted people have the right to take their helicopter over London at any time and we may have to look at that.

“It’s clear there has been something terribly wrong happened this morning, but that doesn’t mean we can’t look at the wider issue at some future stage.”