A police plane was out over Nottinghamshire tonight (Saturday) prompting interest and concern from local residents.
The plane was seen on online flight radar apps flying over Stapleford, Sandiacre and Stanton-by-Dale from before 8pm for more than an hour.
It appeared to be looping in circles, prompting commenters to guess that it was looking for something - or someone.
The Vulcanair P68-R Victor is operated by the National Police Air Service (NPAS) but commanded by police forces which request its support.
There were no open appeals on the social media feeds of Nottinghamshire Police that seemed to require the plane, but Nottinghamshire Live has contacted them to ask for more details.
It is one of the aeroplanes added to the NPAS fleet earlier this year.
Its registered owner is the Police and Crime Commissioner for West Yorkshire, which is what comes up on flight maps online.
Its presence on Saturday prompted speculation on social media about its activities.
"Any clues why we’ve a #police aeroplane flying round for at least the last hour" one man asked at 8.35pm/
One posted: "Wondered what the flashing lights was," while another joked: "Looking for people not wearing masks."
It was reported that the plane was still circling around Nottingham shortly after 10pm.
As well as Nottinghamshire Police, Nottinghamshire Live has contacted NPAS to ask for more details on the operation.
