This video clip has emerged that appears to show a golden eagle or steppe eagle taking off from a hedge along a country lane.

The bird of prey - not rare, but not native to Kent - was spotted in Cheeseman's Green Lane, Ashford, by Ricky Shaw.

He said: "It's not something I normally come across on my way to work."

His dashboard video camera had captured the bird taking off from the hedge.

Experts at Eagle Heights, a bird of prey centre in Eynsford, have identified it as either a golden eagle or a steppe eagle.

The golden eagle is the second largest flying eagle in Britain.

Video: The large bird spotted taking off from a hedge in Ashford

It lives in the wild, open moorlands and mountains of Scotland, favouring islands and remote glens. It is best looked for soaring high over hillsides in the Scottish Highlands.

Its wing span averages six to eight feet, eating a carnivorous diet and is expected to live 30 years in the wild.