RAF jets had near-misses with two mystery drones over the North Sea, with one flying 40 TIMES the legal limit

An RAF Voyager tanker pilot ducked instinctively when an unknown object flew over him at 17,000ft as he refuelled a Typhoon off Cromer, Norfolk, on February 18. Five days later, a Typhoon pilot on a dogfight exercise off Humberside spotted a black circular object, roughly tyre-sized, which passed 300ft above him. Neither object appeared on radar. Police were notified, and 'multiple different external investigations' are under way.

'Just had something go overhead of us – potential drone,' the tanker pilot radioed.

Drone incidents at or near MoD sites in the UK hit 340 in the year to August.

The encounters came just days before the start of the US war with Iran.