We're sorry for the noise

7:10am Monday 5th May 2008

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DEFENCE chiefs have apologised to the people of Worcester over noisy planes - but there are no plans to stop them flying.

Your Worcester News has received complaints about droning aircraft over the city and now defence minister Derek Twigg has said "sorry".

However, he was unable to tell Mike Foster, MP for Worcester, when, or if, the aircraft would ever stop circling the city.

People in St John's, Rainbow Hill, Blackpole, Northwick and Barbourne have complained about a Hercules and a Britten Norman Islander (or a De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter).

Mr Foster has received six complaints and Worcester City Council two - both are now referring complaints directly to the Ministry of Defence.

The letter from Defence Minister Derek Twigg to Mr Foster said: "I'm sorry youR constituents have been disturbed by this essential training that has taken place over the Worcestershire area.

"The aircraft are operating at around 20,000 feet to try and minimise the disturbance to the public.

"However, I can confirm that this type of activity will continue in the foreseeable future as its essential preparation to deployment to certain operational theatres."

Mr Foster said: "As much as I understand the concerns of constituents I'm sure they would rather people were safe in a war zone as a result of the type of training that's going on."

Although the Ministry of Defence has confirmed that there is military training, they have not been able to confirm whether one or both of the planes are military.

On resident from Northwick, who did not wish to be named, said it was the red plane, believed by some to be a Britten Norman Islander, causing the most noise rather than the Hercules as it circled 9am to 5pm on weekdays.

She said: "It's extremely annoying. It's doing the same circles all the time. It never goes out of ear shot."

Estella Thomson, aged 69, of Rainbow Hill, Worcester, said: "Does it not contravene human rights? Have we not got a right to enjoy our home? I could even hear it with double glazing and it really bothers my husband."

However, Squadron Leader Peter Sinclair, speaking on behalf of the MOD, was still not certain both the planes were military.

He said many of the military planes were flying so high (more than 20,000 feet) and the naked eye would be unlikely to see them.

He confirmed that a Hercules could well be in operation in the area and that military used light-coloured Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) radar aircraft.

He said the only red plane he knew of was used by the army for parachute practice in Oxfordshire.

The phone number for MOD Air complaints is 020 7218 6020.

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