ALF Shacklady loves to keep abreast of the latest technology but he got a surprise when he tried out his latest digital camera.

The Princes Avenue, Blackmoor man was surprised to see an object in the sky when he downloaded images he'd taken around 4pm on March 1 of a police helicopter hovering near Astley St Stephen's Church, pictured above.

"Was it a UFO? I don't know what it was, but I'd be interested to know if anyone else saw it that Saturday afternoon," said Mr Shacklady.

The helicopter had been called in to help with a local search but Police have no records of a UFO sighting.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: "There are no records which indicate the helicopter was called out to a major incident."