AGONY OF FAMILIES TEN YEARS ON FROM SHOREHAM DISASTER

IT is 10 years ago now but time has stood still for the families of those killed in the Shoreham Airshow disaster.

- BY DAN WARBURTON

Eleven people died and 13 were injured when a vintage jet crashed in a fireball on August 22, 2015.

Miraculously, the pilot Andy Hill survived. Four years later an Old Bailey jury sensationally acquitted him of manslaughter despite hearing of his “cavalier attitude to safety”.

Since then Mr Hill, now 60, has piled fresh anguish on victims’ families by launching repeated legal challenges to get back his pilot's licence.

The High Court rejected his final appeal last May but the families are still furious about his attitude and say he has still not apologised to them.

And they blame the Civil Aviation Authority for inadequate safety measures and failing to ban Mr Hill before the crash over his flying record.

Anthony Mallinson - who lost his father, retired engineer Graham, 72, in the disaster - said of the CAA: “They've got blood on their hands in this, because of what they should or shouldn't have done.

“It would be nice for the present committee to acknowledge that.

FOOTBALL

“I know I'm knocking my head against a brick wall because it will never happen.

“They just have swerved it, in my opinion. I just want them to show some responsibility and accountability and that things could have actually been improved at the time.”

Two others who died that Saturday were footballers Jacob Schilt and Matthew Grimstone, both 23, who were on their way to play for Worthing United FC when the jet plunged into their car on the A27.

Jacob’s mum Caroline, 64, said: “Hill has never apologised. That's the thing that's flabbergasted me, it is his whole attitude.

“I can't comprehend it at all. There's been enough time when he's seen us at close quarters and yet he sort of blanked us out of it, blocked us out.

“I think he's kind of depersonalised us as if we're not people with feelings.