Bodmin woman who spotted planes while taking driving lesson contradicts official position that Russians did not enter UK airspace
At least one of the two Russian Bear bombers that were escorted away from the Cornish coast entered British airspace, a witness has claimed, contrary to the official version of events.
The apparent incursion, the latest in a series by Russian warplanes amid heightened tension between the two countries, prompted David Cameron to say Moscow was trying to make “some sort of point”. But if encroachment into British airspace was confirmed, the UK government would face pressure to respond more forcefully.
The Ministry of Defence denies that the planes entered British airspace. However, Sue Bamford, from Bodmin, said she witnessed at least one of the bombers flying inland, over Cornwall, while she was having a driving lesson on Wednesday afternoon.
“We were in St Eval when we saw a big black plane that looked like a tank. We thought: where’s that going? It was going along [the route of] the A30,” she said. “As we drove on the big black plane came back again. As Claire [Bamford’s driving instructor] took over to drive back we saw a silver plane, which was the Bear bomber. It’s travelling at the bottom of the St Mawgan valley so we can see it’s not out to sea, it’s in the valley. It’s long and thin, it’s got swept-back wings.”
Full article: Russian bomber flew inland over Cornwall, witness claims (The Guardian)
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