The lives of 11 men who died after a helicopter crashed into the North Sea off Great Yarmouth 20 years have been remembered at a church service.

On July 16, 2002 a Sikorsky helicopter carrying offshore workers crashed 25 miles off the town.

Twenty years to the day a memorial service was held at Great Yarmouth Minster.

The service saw 11 candles lit for each of the men who lost their lives.

The candles were lit next to a glass porch memorial to the 11 men.

The men who died were Stewart Coggon, Philip Stone, Kevin Taylor, Dennis Kelleher, Angus MacArthur, Geoffrey Bispham, David Graves, Douglas Learwood, Paul Francis, Philip Wake and Philip Dearden.

Saturday afternoon's service was led by Rev Canon Simon Ward.

He said the lighting of candles helped grieving people express their loss.

Rev Ward said: "It helps to articulate the words that we sometimes struggle to form.

"I imagine that candles were lit in this church and many other places 20 years ago when news of this tragedy became known.

"The deaths made a huge impact on the town and the wider community of East Anglia.

"The ripples were felt wide beyond this region as well."

Rev Peter Paine was port chaplain at the time of the crash and had provided solace to families and colleagues.

He took part in the Saturday service and invited the mayor of the borough Graham Plant to light the first candle in memory of the victims.

The 11 main candles were then lit, including by family members

The Bristow Sikorsky S76 helicopter had two crew and nine passengers on board.

It was on contract to Shell UK Exploration and Productions and had left the Sole Pit gas production platform bound for the Leman gas field.

Experts said the blade from the main rotor fractured causing the craft to plunge into the sea and giving no hope of survival to those on board.

Shell, for whom three of the men worked for, had erected a glass porch in the Minster in memory of the 11 who died.

The roof of the porch is shaped like a helicopter rotor blade and painted on it in gold is the name of each of the victims.