Replica Spitfire in emergency landing at Peterborough airfield

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The pilot of a replica Spitfire was forced to make an emergency landing near Peterborough when part of the plane's landing gear failed.

The aircraft got into difficulties as it was flying into Sibson Airfield at about 11:45 BST.

Eyewitness Jonny Woods said the pilot circled for about 20 minutes before landing "belly down".

The pilot walked away unharmed. Cambridgeshire Police confirmed all three emergency services attended.

'Propellers flew off'

Mr Woods, who had been skydiving at the airfield, said: "The pilot was circling, probably trying to use some fuel as he couldn't get the wheels down.

"The police, fire and ambulance services were all there, as he'd been up for quite a while.

"He just put it down belly first, slid along for a bit and then the propellers flew off. Then he got out, no worries."

The "80% replica Spitfire" was kept at a private hangar at the airfield, according to a spokesman from a nearby flying school.

He said the pilot landed with "no landing gear as it's safer to have none, than to have part of it down."