Officials at RAF Lakenheath have apologised after one of their jets caused a sonic boom over Huntingdonshire on Thursday.

Dozens of people took to social media after a loud bang rattled windows and set off alarms at about 7.40am, with reports from residents in Warboys and Ramsey that the noise was particularly loud.

A sonic boom is a bang is caused by air movement when an aircraft breaks through the sound barrier (768mph).

The Ministry of Defence reportedly said that it had ‘no record’ of any manoeuvres over the area but officials in the United States Air Force (USAF) said that flight data had revealed that one of its jets had caused the boom.

A spokesman for 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath said: “Despite no evidence at the initial debrief that a sonic event had occurred, a later, detailed review of flight data indicated a brief sonic event at 7.40 a.m. in the vicinity of Ramsey.

“We offer our sincerest apologies for any disturbance this may have caused, and we will continue to emphasise airspeed restrictions in flight briefings.”