IT WAS a strange sight to behold when Martin and Luke Bennett found an abandoned helicopter which had crash landed on an Exmoor field.

Mr Bennett and his son, water engineers from Barnstaple, were on their way from Dulverton to Withypool when they came across the aircraft.

Martin said: “We were driving along when we spotted the helicopter – it was really quite bizarre.

“We wondered why it had landed there as it was quite steep but as we got closer and had a proper look we realised it had crash-landed.

“There were bits hanging off and the wheels were broken off.

“It looked as if it might have hit a tree or something.

“It had been very foggy the night before.”

Martin rang police in both Devon and Somerset. Avon and Somerset Police confirmed that a helicopter crash had been reported the previous night by the pilot.

Mr Bennett added: “We rang the police who said they had been unable to find it the night before because of thick fog.

“I sent Luke over to just make sure there was no-one trapped inside and he found a log book with information about the pilot and where the helicopter had come from.”

The logbook was from Elite Helicopters, a company which operates privately owned craft.

Having worked as a water engineer for 15 years and travelling all around the South West, Martin has seen his fair share of dramas.

“I think something like this helicopter is a once-in-a-lifetime thing but I have seen a lot over the years.

“There was a large barn fire one evening and I’ve helped plenty of people who have gone round a corner too quickly and got stuck in a hedge.”