Huge military plane spotted circling over Wirral

An Airbus A400M Atlas was visible flying at low altitude over the peninsula and surrounding areas from around 9.40am.

These spectacular images were taken by Wirral resident Ian Fairbrother. 

A huge military plane was spotted flying over Wirral yesterday (Image: Ian Fairbrother)

The Royal Air Force aircraft, which uses four propeller engines, took off from RAF Brize Norton near Oxford at around 10.10am, before flying north west over central Wales, according to FlightRadar24.

At around 9.40am the plane headed over Wirral and flew over Heswall , Thorton Hough and Bromborough.

The plane was spotted flying low over the River Mersey (Image: Ian Fairbrother)

At around 9.44am the aircraft flew over the River Mersey and into Liverpool over Liverpool John Lennon Airport before heading back towards Birkenhead.

It then flew over Moreton and West Kirby before flying back over Heswall again and circling the same route before heading back to Oxford.

The FlightRadar route (Image: FlightRadar)

The aircrafts often visit Merseyside for training exercises and have been seen on a number of occasions circling over the region.

Airbus A400M Atlas wasvisible flying at low altitude over the peninsula (Image: Ian Fairbrother)

The plane, typically referred to as Atlas by the RAF, has the ability to carry a 37-tonne payload over 2,000nm to established and remote civilian and military airfields, and short unprepared or semi-prepared strips. 

It will accommodate as many as 116 fully-equipped troops; vehicles; helicopters, including a Chinook; mixed loads, including nine aircraft pallets and 54 passengers, or combinations of vehicles, pallets and personnel, up to a payload of 37 tonnes.