EMERGENCY crews were called tonight after reports that a light aircraft had crashed into woods near Oxford.

The plane lost contact with air traffic control at Oxford Airport, Kidlington, at 5.09pm. It was thought to be four miles from the runway.

It is believed the plane, a PA34 Piper Seneca, crashed into Wytham Woods, west of the village of Wytham.

It has been confirmed by Kidlington-based AirMed that the plane was being flown by one of the company's senior pilots.

The pilot, who has not been named, is an Oxfordshire man and is believed to be the only person on board the aircraft.

An RAF search-and-rescue team joined the search of Wytham Great Wood where the aircraft was believed to have crashed.

The aircraft was due to land at Oxford Airport, but the airfield lost contact.

An RAF helicopter was scrambled from Lee-on-Solent in Hampshire at 6.30pm to help in the search.

A police spokesman said: "We received a call to say Oxford Airport had lost contact with a plane that was due to come in.

"We are trying to find where the plane has gone, but no one has found it yet."

Police on the ground are searching Great Wood west of Wytham village.

Earlier, firefighters were dispatched to Oxford Airport, in case the plane crash-landed at the airfield.