What’s this Russian spy plane doing in East Lancashire skies?

Photographer Steve Bradley saw the Antonov An-30 military surveillance craft, capable of carrying five high-resolution cameras, in the skies above Colne.

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The Ministry of Defence confirmed the plane, nicknamed the ‘Clank’ , was from the Russian Federation Air Force and was flying with permission under a 2002 treaty with UK military personnel on board.

East Lancashire MPs are concerned about what the spy plane was doing just 30 miles from Menwith Hill, a hi-tech NATO monitoring station, and 22 miles from BAE Systems military aircraft factory at Samlesbury.

The have questioned its appropriateness when tensions between the West and Russia are rising.

Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson and his Ribble Valley Tory colleague Nigel Evans will raise the issue of the flight and question Ministers on the treaty in the House of Commons.

Following the seizure of the Crimea and the Ukraine crisis in recent years, tension between President Vladimir Putin’s regime and NATO countries has risen with several cases of Russian bombers being escorted away from UK airspace by RAF fighter jets, the most recent last week.

Last month three Russian warships were also monitored sailing through the English channel.

Mr Bradley, 41, said he was shocked to spot the clearly military turboprop while working in his garden on Friday.

The semi-professional photographer captured several clear shots of the plane flying from east to west.

He said: “It was a bit scary to be honest. I just saw it flying pretty low and wondered: ‘Should that really be here?’.

“My wife was in the kitchen and I just grabbed the camera and took a few pictures. I was dumbfounded.

“Afterwards I looked up the number on the underside of the plane and that confirmed it was a military jet. I suppose some Russian planes must be allowed here but I imagine it’s pretty rare.”

The MOD confirmed the plane was from the Russian military but said it was allowed in British airspace under the ‘Treaty on Open Skies’.

The treaty allows unarmed aerial surveillance flights to take place in 34 countries across the world.

A spokeswoman said: “It is a completely routine and allowable flight. It will have had UK personnel on board .”

Mr Stephenson said: “I am very concerned about this Russian spy-plane being in East Lancashire’s skies so close to Menwith Hill and BAE Systems military aircraft division factories in the county.

“I shall be raising its presence and whether the Open Skies Treaty should be reviewed in the light of rising tensions with Russia with ministers in the House of Commons at the next oral Defence and Foreign Office Questions.

Tensions have been rising with Russian aircraft escorted away from our airspace.”

Mr Evans said: “I am very concerned and will be tabling written questions to ministers on this flight and whether we should look again at the agreement in the light of recent cases of Russian military aircraft and ships coming close to our shores”

Rossendale and Darwen Tory MP Jake Berry and new Blackburn Labour MP Kate Hollern also supported their colleagues in questioning the spy plane’s presence and the suitability of the treaty in the current international climate.

Burnley Labour MP Julie Cooper said: “This seems very odd. I want to know what this plane was doing and why it was above Colne.”

Former Blackburn MP Jack Straw, foreign secretary in 2002 when the treaty was signed, said: “This is reciprocal treaty which allows us to fly over Russian. Revoking it would heighten tensions not reduce them.

“The Russians have satellites if they want to study Menwith Hill.”

He was supported by Tory former Foreign and Defence Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind and ex-NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson of Port Ellen.

Former Labour defence secretary Lord Robertson said: “This is appropriate under reciprocal treaty. My concern would be that reducing such military co-operation might lead to misunderstandings and mistakes.”

No-one was available to comment at the Russian Embassy in London.