Tornado jet crash survivor is from South Staffordshire

Sqn Ldr Paul Evans, a former pupil at Cheslyn Hay Sport and Community High School, broke his spine in the tragedy, which killed three pilots.

The Duke of York attended a memorial service for the men at RAF Lossiemouth and tributes were paid by David Cameron, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond and Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond.

The two aircraft collided south of Wick on July 3.

Sqn Ldr Evans is still in intensive care at Headley Court Military Hospital in Surrey, but is expected to make a full recovery.

His brother, a technical support officer from Hednesford, has just returned from a charity bike ride to raise funds for The Soldiers' and Sailors' Families Association, which has been supporting Sqn Ldr Evans.

Dave Evans, 42, of Wimblebury, said his brother does not remember anything about the tragedy and the hardest thing for him has been coping with the loss of his comrades.

"I go down to see him at weekends and SSAFA puts us up in accommodation, which is all funded by the charity so I want to give something back.

"He's getting better but is a long process. They think it will take between one and two years for him to fully recover. It has only been eight weeks since the accident, he doesn't remember the morning it happened. The loss of the others has been one of the hardest things he has had to deal with."

The 46-year-old, who used to live in Kingsway, Essington, joined the RAF when he was 30 and served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He was previously stationed in Germany but now lives in Forres, north Scotland, and is stationed at RAF Lossiemouth.

On Saturday Dave, of Meadowsweet Way, completed a 66-mile bike ride to Kettering to raise money for SSAFA, sponsored by Gnarly Cycles, of Hednesford. He was joined by friends Simon Round, an IT worker from Hednesford; Darren Faulkner, a policeman from Great Wyrley and John Jephcott, a policeman from Kettering.

People can help reach the £2,000 target at www.just giving.com/daveevans66