James Woodward A decorated Luftwaffe pilot who carried out 120 bombing raids on England has escaped unharmed after a plane crash near the city he once tried to destroy.

Willi Schludecker, 88, carried out three bombing missions over Bath, in Somerset, in 1942 but in April this year returned to publicly apologise for what he did.

Mr Schludecker and a friend, Chris Kilminster, 61, were on a pleasure flight to Bath when the craft's engine failed. Pilot Richard Flohr-Swann made an emergency landing after the engine malfunction soon after take-off at nearby Marshfield.

Mr Kilminster said: "That was Willi's 10th crash - he has had nine in his flying career but this was his first civilian one.

"The flight was a thank-you to me for organising the reconciliation event earlier this year. However, I am going to go up again."