Tony Heightman hit the roof when he returned home from a night out with wife Jean and found a gaping hole in the tiles.

And he was amazed to find it was not burglars or vandals who had caused the damage but a bolt from the blue - a thumping great piece of ice jettisoned by an aircraft.

The 1.2kg missile smashed tiles and tore roofing felt at the chalet bungalow in Aingers Green, Great Bentley.

But it had not broken through into the room below.

Mr Heightman, 78, said: "Sometimes we go out to have a meal with our daughter at Little Oakley.

"We came back at 3.30pm and found the hole.

"My neighbour noticed it about 1.20pm. He thought it wise to advise the police and they came along and had a look."

Mr Heightman said the ice was blue and smelled of disinfectant and he believes the ice came from a plane passing overhead.

He said: "When you flush the toilet in an aircraft blue-coloured water comes out. I don't think there can be any doubt."

Mr Heightman then got in touch with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) but was told they would need an exact time before they could take action.

"Unfortunately no-one heard the bang," said Mr Heightman.

The hole was fixed the next day.

A CAA spokesman said this type of incident happens about ten to 12 times a year from the two million flights through UK air space and no-one had ever been injured.

He added the authority did try to put complainants in touch with the airline but this was only possible if there was an accurate record of the time of the incident.

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