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Minute's Silence For Air Show Crash Victims

Hundreds of people fell silent on Saturday afternoon - exactly one week on from the Shoreham Air Show disaster which claimed 11 lives.

There was a minute's silence at 1.20pm - the time the Hawker Hunter jet crashed on to the A27 in West Sussex.

Well-wishers gathered at a wooden toll bridge near the crash site, with bugles sounded before the silence was observed.

Mourners on the bridge wept during the short period of quiet.

Firefighters in Shoreham also stood to attention outside their station to remember the victims.

A candlelit vigil - which organisers called a "bridge of light" - also took place at the Adur Ferry Bridge as part of Shoreham’s River Fest event.

Despite the evening rain, hundreds of people turned out to place candles.

Moments of silence were also held earlier in the day at the Remembrance in the Park event in Lancing Manor and at an air show in Guildford.

West Sussex coroner Penelope Schofield has confirmed that formal identification of the victims has been completed and families informed.

Ms Schofield said: "Identifying all 11 victims has been a difficult process due to the horrific nature of the accident and the intensity of the fire."

Inquests into their deaths will open on Wednesday in Horsham and on Sunday morning, police said the eastbound carriageway of the A27 had been re-opened with only one lane accessible on the westbound lane.

The inquest dates come after a senior police officer told Sky News the remains of some of the victims of the disaster may never be found at the "gruesome" scene.

When asked if that was a possibility, Assistant Chief Constable Steve Barry said: "That is absolutely the case, and that is one of the reasons why we are so meticulous and so thorough in our gathering of the evidence.

"Because we want to help the families understand as much as they can what happened to their loved ones."

The plane crashed with such force that specialists are having to examine DNA and human remains to find out who was killed.

The pilot, Andy Hill, is in a critical condition and has been moved to a specialist hospital.

A further two victims of the crash have been named as Daniele Polito and Tony Brightwell.

Police Constable Chris Storey – a first responder who witnessed the aftermath of the crash - told Sky News the scene was "horrendous" as the smell of jet fuel hung in the air.

"It was unlike anything I'd ever seen. It's the sort of thing you see in a film," he said.

"There were lots of damaged vehicles, lots of debris everywhere, lots of damage to the trees and bushes along the southern side of the scene, lots of damage to street furniture - traffic lights and signs and barriers."

He said the only thing he could hear as he took in the devastation in front of him was the sirens from the fire engines.

He said he had thought about the crash every day since.

The A27 remains shut, although it is hoped it will reopen on Monday. An interim report into the crash is expected to be released in the next few days.

A memorial service for the dead is planned for the end of September, with an exact date and location set to be announced soon.