Police have said their investigation into the Shoreham Airshow disaster is 95% complete.

At a pre inquest review into the deaths of 11 men at the airshow in August 2015, officers said they were now in the process of consulting the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) about criminal charges.

The crash happened when a vintage Hawker Hunter jet plummeted onto the A27 during a loop-the-loop stunt.

Its pilot, Andrew Hill, 53, is being investigated for possible manslaughter by gross negligence. He has been questioned voluntarily under caution by police.

Detective Superintendent Adam Hibbert, head of Sussex and Surrey major crime, told the hearing at Crawley coroners court: "In my opinion this investigation is 95% complete. The CPS has been approached to start providing them an initial file.

"There are a number of outstanding inquiries.

"Once those are completed a further report will be completed for the CPS with formal request for advice whether or not criminal proceedings should commence."

Det Sup Hibbert said that the police investigation so far had amassed a "conservative estimate" of 25,0000 documents on the police database.

West Sussex senior coroner Penelope Schofield said she had been asked by the Crown Prosecution Service to suspend the inquest until they had considered the criminal file.

She suggested the police should provide updates on their investigation on September 30 and November 30.

She suggested that if no charges are brought by the CPS the inquest - lasting six weeks - should be held in September 2018.

Addressing the families of the 11 men who died, Ms Schofield said: "I will do my very best to ensure this inquest shouldn't be pushed back later than 2018.

"I will do my very best to make sure that this is pushed forward as quickly as we can.

"But I would not want to compromise a full investigation."

The pre-inquest review had to be rescheduled from March due to the ongoing police investigation and to allow a final report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) to be considered.

The final AAIB report, published in March, found that Mr Hill, from Sandon, Hertfordshire, was flying too slow and too low during the loop manoeuvre.

Investigators said the speed that the 1955 Hawker Hunter plane entered the manoeuvre was too low and it failed to use maximum thrust.

Measures taken to mitigate the effects of an aircraft crashing outside the air show's boundary were "ineffective" and contributed to the severity of the crash toll, they added.

The AAIB made a total of 32 safety recommendations for the CAA, including 10 in the final report. The CAA said it would act on them "as a priority".

The 11 men who died were: wedding chauffeur Maurice Abrahams, 76, from Brighton; retired engineer James Graham Mallinson, 72, from Newick, near Lewes; window cleaner and builder Mark Trussler, 54, from Worthing; cycling friends Dylan Archer, 42, from Brighton, and Richard Smith, 26, from Hove; NHS manager Tony Brightwell, 53, from Hove; grandfather Mark Reeves, 53, from Seaford; Worthing United footballers Matthew Grimstone and Jacob Schilt, both 23; personal trainer Matt Jones, 24; and Daniele Polito, 23, from Worthing.

Shoreham Airshow organisers have said it was unlikely they will stage "the same or similar style event" in the future.