THE wreckage of a helicopter that crashed in the Rhinog mountains, killing all five people on board, has been retrieved by rescue crews.

North Wales Police recovery officers, assisted by local mountain rescue teams and the Coastguard, completed the recovery of all five people who tragically lost their lives in Wednesday’s helicopter crash and flew the remains of the helicopter off the mountainside.

With the family’s consent details of all five passengers are now confirmed as Kevin and Ruth Burke aged 56 and 49, Donald and Sharon Burke aged 55 and 48 respectively and 51 year old Barry Burke. All are from the greater Milton Keynes area.

Chief Inspector Richie Green at North Wales Police has paid tribute to the professionalism, bravery and skill of all those involved in this very challenging and distressing operation.

He said “Shortly before 3.30pm this afternoon (Sunday) the last of the five who were on board the helicopter were recovered.

"Thames Valley Police Family Liaison Officers have informed family members and we can now begin the very difficult process of formal identification.

"We’ll continue to support the family and I’d simply ask both media and public alike to respect their privacy at this time. Our thoughts remain with the extended family and their friends.

“I would also like to thank the police officers and Mountain Rescue personnel not just for their dedication and skill in very trying conditions but also the dignified and compassionate manner in which the whole operation was conducted.

"Now all the bodies have been recovered the joint investigation with the Air Accident Investigation Board will begin in earnest to establish how this accident happened.

"Again with the family’s consent we are sharing a photograph of the scene taken before the ‘crash’ which gives some indication of the extremely difficult conditions we are working in.”

"We are still appealing to anyone who was in the Rhinog Mountains area of Snowdonia between 12 noon and 1pm on Wednesday 29 March and may have heard or seen the helicopter to contact North Wales Police via the live web chathttp://www.north-wales.police.uk/contact/chat-support.aspx or by phoning 101.”