Unscheduled Landing

7 June 2012, 12:43 | Updated: 7 June 2012, 13:01

Engineers have been trying to sort out a problem that meant an RAF helicopter had to make an unplanned landing near a Northamptonshire village.

The Merlin - similar to that pictured, right - came down on grassland in Stanwick on the Northants/Bedfordshire border on the evening of Wednesday 6 June 2012 because of what's described as a 'minor engineering issue'.

The Ministry of Defence have told Heart the landing was 'precautionary'.  The helicopter was kept under guard overnight and further inspections were carried out on the morning of Thursday 7 June before the helicopter flew back to its base at RAF Benson in Oxfordshire.

None of the four-person crew of the helicopter were hurt in what happened.