People were stunned to see a huge military plane soaring over Kent.

The RAF Atlas A400M was spotted over a large swathe of the county, including Faversham, Ashford and Hawkinge.

An RAF spokesman, wing commander Martin Tinworth, said: "The RAF Atlas A400M in question was from RAF Brize Norton and completed a routine training mission yesterday, flying from its base in Oxfordshire across the south and east of England before returning to base."

The Airbus-manufactured craft is a tactical airlifter, built to replace older models such as the Transall C-160 and the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.

Just 88 of the 76.5-metric-tonne machines have been produced, with each costing up to £157 million.

It's not difficult to hear or see an approaching A400M due to its 42-metre wingspan and 45.1-metre length.

Another exciting factor of yesterday's visit was the low height of the flight, with some spotters fearing the four-turboprop airplane was crashing.

The RAF spokesman noted it is unusual for training missions to take place in the south east.

He also recommended looking at the Brize Norton Facebook page for daily information regarding flights to and from the base.

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