The crane operator only survived yesterday’s Vauxhall helicopter crash in London because he was running late for the first-ever time in his job and had not reached his cabin when the aircraft came down, a lorry driver said.

In London, specialists are working to ensure the area where a helicopter crashed remains safe.

The pilot who died in today’s dramatic central London helicopter crash worked on Hollywood films and was described as a hero and “one of the best” by former colleagues today.