Five members of same family believed to be in helicopter wreckage

It is believed that the people on the helicopter were local businessman Kevin Burke, his wife Ruth Burke, his brother and Ruth’s brother and his wife.

Sources say that the couple’s children were not on board.

SEE MORE: Five bodies found in wreckage of missing Milton Keynes helicopterIt is also believed that the flight was on route to a business trip in Ireland and due to re-fuel in Wales.

The private helicopter disappeared over the Irish sea just after 4pm yesterday - prompting a search by the UK coastguard in the Caernarfon Bay area of North Wales.

SEE MORE: Search launched for Milton Keynes helicopter missing over Irish Sea with five people on boardThe helicopter is believed to be Mr Burke’s private twin squirrel red helicopter, owned by his company Staske Construction Limited, and the operation to locate it is ongoing.

Mr Burke has also been a director of Bletchley based construction firm Tubular Erectors Limited for the last 21 years. The company has carried out structural steel work on developments including Shenley Brook End School, Stadium:MK, and Milton Keynes Hospital.

The 57-year-old, a former student at Lord Grey School, was also the deputy chairman of Hulcote and Salford Parish Council as recently as three years ago and was a very experienced pilot, who flew to Manchester almost daily, according to a source.

The helicopter is understood to have taken off from Mr Burke’s home yesterday (Wednesday) at Brook Farm in Hulcote (pictured).

SEE MORE: Missing helicopter from Luton with five peopleMr Burke regularly took businessman from the local area on trips on his private helicopter, but it is not yet known whether any other MK residents may have been on board.

SEE MORE: Wealthy Milton Keynes businessman feared to be on missing helicopter