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The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said they are supporting the families of two British nationals who died after the two helicopters crashed mid-air.

A British couple who were among four people killed when two helicopters collided in mid-air near a theme park in Australia have been named.

Diane and Ron Hughes, 57 and 65, were from Liverpool and married in 2021.

In a statement, their family said they are heartbroken and are still trying to contact friends and family to let them know.

he crash happened on the Gold Coast - not far from Sea World in the state of Queensland - at about 2pm local time on Monday. The park would have been filled with families enjoying the school summer holidays.

Initial investigations have shown that one helicopter taking off, which contained seven people, collided with another helicopter coming into land, which contained six people.

Mr and Mrs Hughes were on the helicopter carrying seven people, which crashed. The 40-year-old pilot and a 36-year-old woman from New South Wales also died.

A 10-year-old boy who was on board is in a critical condition, while a 33-year-old woman and a nine-year-old boy are seriously injured.

The helicopter coming into land "remarkably" landed upright, despite considerable damage to the front left section of the aircraft, where the pilot was sitting.

Five occupants on this aircraft sustained minor physical injuries, while the sixth was uninjured.

Australian Transport Safety Bureau chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said that the incident was a "tragic start to the new year".