Mystery still surrounds a bang that shook Spalding and the surrounding area. The noise was heard at 2.19pm on Wednesday, January 17, 2006, causing buildings to shake and the ground to vibrate. But Lincolnshire Police, Lincolnshire Ambulance Service and Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue received no reports of any incidents in the area. Many people now believe it was a sonic boom, caused when a jet breaks through the sound barrier, but no-one can give a definitive answer and experts say that theory is unlikely. David Galloway, assistant seismologist at the British Geographical Survey, said their national and regional monitors would normally trace things such as a sonic boom.
"I have checked the system for half an hour either side of the time the noise was reported and absolutely nothing came up" - David Galloway
The "big bang" caused the Lincolnshire Free Press and Spalding Guardian building to shake, while staff at South Holland District Council thought the noise had come from within their building because it was so loud.
"There is an attic above my head and I thought the noise had come from something heavy being dropped in there" - Sharon Dabell, Press officer.
Pedestrians in Spalding town centre stopped dead on hearing the noise while several cars in the Sheep Market pulled over. The noise was heard by residents in Gedney, Bourne, Baston and even as far away as Eye, although most believe the source of the noise was directly above Spalding. The Lincolnshire Free Press received several calls from concerned residents on Wednesday afternoon as people tried to establish what has happened. Noel Pullford heard the bang and saw the ground shake while walking dogs in Deeping High Bank.
"There was a huge crack of noise and I could see the vibrations come through the trees, which all moved, and then go right across the field. I would say it actually began in one spot and spread because there were a lot of sheep in a field that ran away from where they were standing as soon as it happened. It is really strange. I did not realise that it had been heard by so many people" - Noel Pullford
"I thought there had been an explosion or crash outside. It is very strange that no-one knows what it was. It shook my windows and everyone outside stopped when it happened." - Margaret Dark.
The force of the bang was so great that it turned off the fridges at Sheep Market newsagent Classic News. A local radio station claimed the noise had been caused by RAF Harrier jets but that theory has been dismissed as the aircraft is incapable of travelling faster than the speed of sound. While there is a channel for military aircraft to use off the East of England, RAF pilots make every effort not to travel above the speed of sound and try to encourage pilots from other countries to avoid doing so.
"I have no idea what might have caused it but it was not us" - Tony Walsh, of RAF Wittering.
And a Ministry of Defence spokesman said there was no military activity going on in the area which could have been responsible.
# If you believe you know what was responsible for the noise then e-mail rob.jerram@jpress.co.uk
