The body of a UK man who was attempting to pilot a microlight aircraft to Australia was recovered off the French coast about three hours after he took off from the British coast.

Forty-nine-year-old Martin Bromage hailing from the English town of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, took off on during the early hours of Monday but authorities lost contact with him as he was carrying out his English Channel crossing towards the French coast.

A Dover Coastguard spokesman confirmed that the body of Mr Bromage was recovered at 10:00 p.m. GMT on Monday by a small French patrol boat, near the town of Boulogne. Coastguard officials claimed that very bad weather conditions had made it impossible to send in a rescue helicopter in time to save the adventurer.

Mr Bromage, a father-of-two, took off in his tiny aircraft from Gloucestershire Airport in England for a long solo flight to Sydney on Monday at 10:00 a.m. GMT.

The journey, which was all under the hopes of raising funds for the charity Help For Heroes, was due to be completed in six weeks.

It was reported that the team responsible to keep in touch with him lost contact very early on in the flight.

According to a spokesman, the Channel side of France was covered with a dense fog on Monday which made it impossible for to land there. Mr Bromage had thus attempted to turn back towards England when he encountered a technical problem and plunged to his death.

Officials said that the pilot had with him a life raft as well as a life jacket.

According to statements made by Mr Bromage on his journey website, he was fully aware of the extreme dangers associated with the flight.

On his website, set up to promote the “epic” adventure, Mr Bromage made no secret of the risks he faced.

He said that that ahead of him was an “incredibly hostile terrain with daunting sea crossings and testing meteorological conditions”.

The charity for which Mr Bromage was attempting this feat, Help For Heroes, is a British organisation which helps to provide better facilities for wounded British soldiers.