Peterborough Sonic Boom

5 June 2014, 14:42 | Updated: 5 June 2014, 15:24

Military aircraft breaking the sound barrier have caused a loud sonic boom across Peterborough.

The Ministry of Defence have confirmed to Heart that Typhoon aircraft from RAF Coningsby were launched to investigate a civilian aircraft which had lost radio contact with air traffic control.

In a statement the MOD said the "...aircraft re-established communication prior to intercept and was released to proceed."

They added the aircraft "...were authorised to go supersonic over land for operation reasons and any inconvenience caused to local residents is regretted."

The loud noise, described by witnesses as sounding like an explosion, was heard across the city at lunchtime.

A Cambridgeshire Police spokesperson said: "We've received a lot of 999 calls from concerned people in Peterborough reporting a very loud explosion.

It was in fact a sonic boom caused by an aircraft breaking the sound barrier.

We've got no concerns and we are aware so can we ask that members of the public do not call us on either 999 or 101 to report it."