Two people have died after a helicopter crashed into a field in North Yorkshire, police have said.

The force said the incident happened off Bentham Road near Burton in Lonsdale shortly before midday.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “Two people were sadly killed as a result of the crash. Their families are being supported by specially trained officers.”

They said an investigation was under way into the cause of the crash.

No-one else is believed to have been on board.

The road is closed at the A65 and at the junction of Bentham Moor Road, the statement added.

North Yorkshire Police said they were urging people to “continue to avoid the area”.

Burton in Lonsdale is a farming area close to the border with Lancashire and Cumbria.