An amateur photographer has captured a rare phenomenon that looks like a giant eye gazing down from the sky.

David Neale, from Rainham, snapped the spectacular sight of the sun surrounded by a mysterious halo – known as a "sun dog" yesterday.

The sight, officially called a pathelia, occurs when sunlight is refracted by hexagonal-shaped ice crystals in high and cirrus clouds.

They are commonly seen when the sun is low and not in the middle of the day.

However, a complete "sun dog" – when the halo is a full circle around the sun is much rarer.

Mr Neale photographed the "sun dog" at Copperhouse Lane on the River Medway waterfront yesterday morning.

The 38-year-old, of Beverley Close, Rainham, said: "Most of the time sun dogs consist of small tufted rainbows either to the left or the right of the sun.

"They are created from certain clouds which refract the light creating a rainbow. It is very rare that complete circular ones ever form."

Have you taken any similar pictures? Email them to multimediadesk@thekmgroup.co.uk.