A 54-year-old Rotarian from Cambridgeshire is among four people killed in a light aircraft crash in Italy.The accident, which also claimed the life of an 81-year-old man from Hertfordshire and an Italian couple, happened near the town of Rovereto, in the Veneto area of the country, yesterday afternoon.

A 54-year-old Rotarian from Cambridgeshire is among four people killed in a light aircraft crash in Italy.

The accident, which also claimed the life of an 81-year-old man from Hertfordshire and an Italian couple, happened near the town of Rovereto, in the Veneto area of the country, yesterday afternoon.

Father-of-two Kevin Young, a dentist from Saxon Way, March, and John Ritchie, from Letchworth, died instantly with the Italian pilot of the Tampico single engine plane Vittorio Rossetti, 69, and his wife Marinella, 56.

All are believed to have been Rotarians, taking part in a conference in Venice over the weekend, which involved a flight on Sunday to visit an aeronautical museum in Trento.

Tonight Donald Roberts, secretary of March Rotary Club, said: “Kevin Young, a practising Dentist, was a keen member of the Rotary Club of March and an equally keen participant in Rotary Flying circles.

“He leaves a wife, Belinda and two young children, Elisha and Dominic, to whom we extend our very sincere condolences.

“Kevin was a friendly and cheerful personality who will be sorely missed, not only in Rotary but also by the wider community.”

Initial reports said the plane crashed in dense forest before rolling for some distance and catching fire, it was reported.

Witnesses quoted in the Italian press said they saw the plane flying very low before dropping suddenly to the ground at around 4.30pm on Sunday.

Weather conditions were said to be fine and a police spokesman said it was believed that the aircraft had suffered engine failure.

Experts from Italy's Civil Aviation Authority are now examining the wreckage of the plane.