It’s a very sad day for English Rally, and the sports world in general - Colin McRae died in a helicopter crash, along with his 5 year old son Johnny at around 3pm (GMT). It’s believed to have happened in the McRae family home’s grounds after returning from a trip to a nearby village.

A police spokeswoman stressed that the bodies had not yet been formally identified.

The crash wreckage, which was in thick woods, was so bad it was initially difficult to determine how many people were involved.

Colin Steele McRae, a licensed pilot, was born in Lanark on August 5, 1968.

He had two children, Hollie and Johnny, with his wife Alison.

Nicky Grist, McRae’s co-driver since 1997, expressed his sorrow.

This news doesn’t come without a profound sense of irony, it seems. Colin had been rally driving since 1987 after entering the World Rally Championship in Sweden, going on to win his first Championship in New Zealand in 1993. After 20 years driving at speeds in excess of 80mph through rugged terrain, he dies in the air.

What a sad loss.