Rescuers resumed their search at first light for eight people still missing after yesterday's fatal helicopter crash in the North Sea, but did not expect to find anyone alive.

Two lifeboats and seven other ships were scouring an area of some 30 miles off the coast of Aberdeenshire from which eight bodies have already been recovered.

"The water temperature is only eight degrees centigrade and the passengers were wearing survival suits which would have given them an estimated survival time of four to six hours," said a spokeswoman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

"It's probably appropriate to say we are not hopeful," she added.

The Super Puma helicopter was ferrying personnel from a BP offshore oil rig when it ditched 15 miles off the coast.

Drilling company KCA Deutag has said 10 of its workers were among the passengers, nine of them British.

It was the second Super Puma crash in the North Sea in six weeks.

In February, all 18 on board a Super Puma travelling to a BP oil rig were rescued after it crashed into the sea after hitting a fog bank.

Both downed aircraft were operated by Bond Offshore Helicopters, which runs a fleet of Super Puma twin-engined helicopters to supply sea-based oil rigs.