A PILOT who crashed his plane at the Shoreham Airshow killing 11 people and injuring 16 had his display halted for performing a "dangerous" stunt just one year before at another air show, a court heard.

Andrew Hill, 54, faces 11 manslaughter by gross negligence charges, and one count of endangering an aircraft under air navigation laws following the crash on August 22 2015.

His Hawker Hunter jet crashed onto the A27, sending a fireball across the busy road.

He had been performing a "bent loop" stunt at the popular air show when the crash happened.

It was said he did not reach the required height but continued with the stunt anyway.

Hill, a trained Royal Air Force instructor and fast jet pilot, was seriously injured but survived the tragedy after being thrown from the aircraft.

The court heard that in a "rare" turn of events just a year earlier, Hill's display had to be stopped at the Southport air show because a stunt "took him far too close to the crowd".

Prosecutor Thomas Kark QC said: "It was Mr Hill's duty to ensure that he planned his display in such a way that he remained within his authorisation including being able to capture the minimum aerobatic display height of 500 feet following an aerobatic manoeuvre, not flying at any stage below 100 feet and not infringing any of the no-fly zones around Shoreham airport."

Mr Kark said there was a "heavy responsibility which lies on a pilot's shoulders".

He told the jurors that they would hear several witness statements that describe Hill as a "highly competent and experienced" pilot.

Mr Kark said: "However, it has to be borne in mind, that any air crash involving pilot error will normally involve a competent and skilled pilot.

"Although Mr Hill may be described as a careful and competent display pilot, as you will hear, there have also been times when he has taken risks or flown in a way one would not expect a careful and competent fast jet display pilot to do.

"On one occasion, just a year before, at the Southport air show he performed a dangerous manoeuvre and his display was then halted by the flight director of that display calling what is known as a 'stop stop stop'.

"Such is a rare event and was issued on that occasions because the manoeuvre he performed took him far too close to the crowd and was dangerous.

"Unfortunately, on this occasion in 2015 at Shoreham no one had time to call out a 'stop' and his display ended in tragedy."