LONDON  A British air force pilot has died after a Spitfire aircraft crashed on Saturday into a field in eastern England, police and the RAF said.

The fighter aircraft was part of a commemoration of the Battle of Britain at RAF Coningsby, in Lincolnshire, the Guardian newspaper reported.

"Awful news to see the life of a serving RAF pilot cut short in this tragic event. My thoughts are with their family and loved ones," Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on social media.

The unidentified pilot was the sole occupant of the aircraft and was declared dead at the scene, Lincolnshire Police said in a statement.

It said nobody else was thought to have been injured as a result of the accident and that investigations were ongoing into the cause.

In a statement, RAF Coningsby said: "It is with great sadness that we must confirm the death of an RAF pilot in a tragic accident near RAF Coningsby today".

"The pilot's family have been informed and we ask that their privacy is respected at this difficult time."

  - Reuters