A pilot escaped unharmed after making a crash landing in a microlight which overturned.

He ditched his two-seater aircraft in fields in Wheel Lane, Westfield, near Hastings, as low dense cloud hampered visibility.

The pilot, in his 30s and from Hove, damaged his microlight, including the undercarriage and propeller, as he made the emergency landing in a 16-acre field just 50 yards from a minor road.

He had been flying solo from Deanland airfield in Ripe, near Lewes, to Headcorn airfield in Kent when bad weather fell.

As visibility worsened, he decided to turn back to Deanland while flying above Westfield. Then he decided to make a forced landing as visibility deteriorated further at about 2.30pm yesterday.

Retired agricultural worker Richard Garland, 80, became alarmed after seeing the microlight just above his rooftop.

He said: "I was washing the dishes after lunch when I looked out of the kitchen window and saw it. It was really close to the roof. I thought 'My God, that's a bit low' but then it disappeared and I was worried something serious might occur."

Emergency services put contingency plans into place amid fears the aircraft's fuel load might spark an explosion.

The air accident investigation branch was notified and it delegated responsibility to the British Glider Association.