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What were big bangs that woke Dover up this morning and could be heard as far as Sandwich?

A coastal town was awoken by a series of big bangs this morning.

The din in Dover was enough to unsettle wildlife and was loudest in the River area according to social media.

The noises sounded like controlled explosions, thought to be from the MOD site at Lydden. Library picture by Brian Scott
The noises sounded like controlled explosions, thought to be from the MOD site at Lydden. Library picture by Brian Scott

Described as "banging and booming" the noises were so loud, they could be heard through the town, at the port, in Maxton, St Margaret's and as far away as Sandwich.

One theory is the noises could have come from Lydden section of the MOD's East Kent Dry Training Area.

MOD documents online describe the area as a "mixture of open country and wooded areas" covering Dover, Folkestone and Hythe.

One commentator on Facebook queried whether the low flying military aircraft she saw in Eastry yesterday could be connected.

The Lydden site is described by the MOD as "predominantly used by soldiers for military training prior to operational deployment.

The MOD training areas in Lydden are shaded purple
The MOD training areas in Lydden are shaded purple

"They use ‘battle simulation’, blank ammunition and pyrotechnics to add realism to their activities."

The Ministry of Defence has been asked if it was training related and the British Army and the Royal Air Force have been contacted for comment.

Read more: All the latest news from Dover

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