BAE Systems apologise after Typhoon Fighter Jet causes sonic boom over Southport

A spokesman for BAE Sytems said: 'We can reassure people that the noise reported in the Southport area today was a supersonic boom from one of our Typhoon aircraft, which was undergoing flight testing in an offshore range area.

'As the UK's sovereign combat air capability provider, we regularly conduct flight testing sorties as part of the Typhoon development programme and our broader role in safeguarding national security.

'We operate in airspace cleared for supersonic testing but apologise for any alarm caused to local residents.'