I WAS walking my dog near Higher Croft Wood on Sunday, July 6, just a few yards from Roman Road, Blackburn, and well clear of any trees of buildings when, about 6.25pm, I heard a very loud noise, like a jet engine at full power.

The sound seemed to be coming from the direction of Longridge and grew louder as it approached me. I looked up at the clear, blue sky with just the odd cloud and saw nothing. No jet, no vapour trails.

The noise roared over my head and continued towards the Bury area. There is nothing unusual in that except that it took less than five seconds for the sound to traverse that distance and isn't that faster than any conventional aircraft can fly?

I know I didn't imagine it. It was very loud, so loud that even my dog looked up. So what did I hear? Was it a low-flying jet travelling faster than sound? There was no shock wave.

In any case, a low-flying jet travelling at above Mach 1 would still be easily visible. Was it a low-flying jet travelling below the speed of sound? It would take longer than five seconds to cover the distance.

Was it an invisible, very fast, low-flying jet? If it was a high-flying jet there was no vapour trail and, anyway, the noise was far too loud for a high-flying jet.

A few days earlier I had heard a similar noise, but I was inside the house at the time and by the time I got out, all was quiet.

Did anybody else hear the noise and see nothing? I hope I am not alone.

J BUCKLEY (Mr), Ulverston Close, Blackburn.

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