Former world rally champion Colin McRae and his five-year-old son were among four people killed in a helicopter crash in Scotland on Saturday, police believe.

Although a formal post-mortem examination still had to be carried out, Strathclyde police issued a statement yesterday naming the 39-year-old McRae and his son Johnny as among the victims.

The helicopter, registered to McRae who became the first British world rally champion in 1995, came down near his home on Saturday and burst into flames.

"It has now been confirmed that there were four people, two adults and two young children, on board," the police statement said.

"The post mortem has still to take place but the four involved are believed to be Mr Colin McRae (39) of Jerviswood House and his son Johnny Gavin McRae, aged 5, Ben Porcelli (6), of Cleghorn Road, Lanark, who had been over playing with Johnny, and family friend Graeme Duncan (37), of L'Ile Degaillot, Faycelles, France."

McRae was the second British former world rally champion to die within the space of two years after Richard Burns died of a brain tumour in 2005.

Chief Superintendent Tim Love of Strathclyde's South Lanarkshire Division said: "We believe that the group were just returning from a visit to the nearby village of Quarter around 1605 hours yesterday when it appears that the helicopter got into difficulty and crashed within the grounds of Mr McRae's family home.

"Our officers are working closely with the Air Accident Investigation Team who are presently at the scene."