A LYTHAM man, described by the company he worked for as "a smashing chap", was one of the victims when a helicopter plunged into the North Sea last week.

Norfolk Police named Denis Kelleher, of Teal Lane, Lytham, as one of the dead after a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter in which he was travelling with colleagues ditched in the sea off the Norfolk Coast on July 16.

Mr Kelleher, 40, lived with his wife Lynda on the Cypress Point estate, Lytham.

It is understood that he and his wife jointly owned the 19-bed Links View rest home on Links Gate, St Annes. Mr Kelleher also leaves a daughter.

Mr Kelleher worked for Great Yarmouth-based Oilfield Medical Services as an offshore medical officer and it was in this capacity that he was on board the routine transport flight when it crashed into the sea.

A spokesperson for Oilfield Medical Services, which supplies medics to the offshore oil and gas industry, said Mr Kelleher was both hard working and conscientious.

"He worked for us for eight years. He was a smashing chap.

"He always worked for Shell. He was contracted to Shell through us. He was an excellent medic. He was one of those medics who showed passion and concern for his fellow workers."

She added: "We used to call him Denis the Menace. He was always joking on the phone. We are all missing him desperately."

By Friday morning Mr Kelleher and four other men had been confirmed dead by Norfolk Police. They were named as Philip Stone, 53, from Norwich, Kevin Taylor, 50, also from Norwich, Angus MacArthur, 38, from Dingwall, Scotland and Stuart Coggon, 45, from Middlesbrough.

Police also named other victims as 51-year-old Geoffrey Bispham from Norfolk, David Graves, 33, from Suffolk, Douglas Learwood, 40, from Middlesbrough, Paul Francis, 48, from Norwich, helicopter pilot Captain Phillip Wake, 42, and 32-year-old co-pilot First Officer Phillip Dearden, both from Norwich.

Coroner Keith Dowding opened inquests into the deaths in Great Yarmouth on Thursday, July 18, but provisionally adjourned them until September 5.

At the opening of the inquests it was revealed that the men had been identified by the numbers on their waterproof survival suits and from personal belongings inside the suits.

Mr Kelleher's family were too upset to talk about his death. It is thought that all the men's families are receiving counselling.