A man whose body was recovered from a reservoir after a small private plane crashed into the water has been named by police.

Essex Police said 66-year-old Peter Beeson, of Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire was believed to be the sole occupant of the Beagle B121 Pup aircraft.

The plane had left North Weald Airfield just before midday on December 28 last year and crashed at Hanningfield Reservoir between Chelmsford and Billericay at around 2pm.

The force said the investigation continues but to date has not identified any suspicious circumstances.

Police said a post-mortem examination was carried out on Wednesday.

Detective Inspector Lydia George, of Essex Police, said: “Our thoughts remain with family and friends, and I offer my condolences.

“At the end of last year, we were involved in an extensive search alongside our emergency services partners, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and other specialists following notification of a plane crash near Chelmsford.

“Sadly, that search resulted in divers from the Metropolitan Police Service recovering the body of Mr Beeson.

“I’d like to thank all our partners who assisted in the search and recovery and specialists from across multiple agencies, including Essex and Suffolk Water.”

A spokesperson said police will continue to prepare a file for the coroner.