Clutha to close early on second anniversary of helicopter crash

The Glasgow bar which had a helicopter crash through its roof is to close early this evening, on the second anniversary of the tragedy which claimed 10 lives.

This is the first anniversary on which the Clutha bar has been open since the accident, when a police helicopter crashed into the pub as more than 100 people were enjoying a night out.

The bar re-opened in July, 20 months after the disaster.

All three people who were in the helicopter, pilot David Traill, who was attached to Police Scotland's air support unit, and police constables Tony Collins and Kirsty Nellis were killed when the Eurocopter EC 135 crashed into the building.

Those killed in the pub were John McGarrigle, Mark O'Prey, Gary Arthur, Colin Gibson, Robert Jenkins and Samuel McGhee. Joe Cusker was pulled from the wreckage alive but later died in hospital.

An Air Accidents Investigation Branch report into the incident found two fuel supply switches were off in the helicopter and that the pilot did not follow emergency procedures after a fuel warning in the cockpit.

Mr Traill's sister Evelyn Holmes Mitchell said after the report was published that her brother "would not only have done everything in his power to save his companions and others but had the years of flying and teaching to make sure such a thing would not happen".

The bar will close at 9pm this evening.