A Cheltenham man who followed his dream to become a pilot died when his plane crashed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Chris Wilson, 39, who lived in Hatherley, was among 20 people who died when the twin-engined plane crashed last week near the airstrip in the town of Bandundu.

His family said he had worked for Congolese airline Filair since 2009. They did not learn of his death until Saturday as no identification was found on his body.

His mother, Jean, aged 78, told the Bury Times: “I heard about the plane crash last week but I had no idea that Chris was involved. It’s such a shock.

“He loved flying and he worked hard to fulfil his dream of becoming a pilot. He had three jobs at once just to pay for his training. He absolutely adored flying.

“I’m very proud of him for working so hard. He loved life and did everything he could to achieve his dream. There have been so many messages from people he has known through the years. We didn’t realise so many people cared for him."

Did you know Chris? Contact the Echo newsdesk on 01242 271821 or email echo.news@glosmedia.co.uk

For more on this story, see Saturday's Echo.