SAS helicopters spotted over Blackpool's Winter Gardens and Lancashire Police HQ
Britain’s most elite soldiers, the SAS, were spotted training in Lancashire last night.
Their Dauphin helicopters - nicknamed ‘Blue Thunder’ - rumbled low over rooftops in Preston, South Ribble and Blackpool between 8pm and 10pm, without appearing on flight radar apps.
It was a thrilling sight as one of the Special Forces choppers hovered over Blackpool’s Winter Gardens with its lights switched off. It descended to within touching distance of the venue’s roof before pulling away and disappearing into the night.
They also visited Lancashire Police HQ in Hutton, and sites in Manchester including Salford’s Media City, where figures dressed in black descended to the roof from a rope attached to the helicopter.
Soldiers were reportedly taking part in Exercise Accord, a joint military-police, anti-terrorist exercise.
A spokesperson for Lancashire Police said: “We are taking part in a pre-planned multi-agency exercise, this is not in response to any specific intelligence or threat. There is no risk to the public.”
These "touch-and-go" exercises, where SAS pilots briefly land and immediately take off again without coming to a complete stop, have become a familiar sight in the region in recent years.
The SAS are no strangers to Lancashire, having visited the county a number of times for training purposes.
In 2023, they were filmed touching down on top of Blackpool Sixth Form College. Black-clad soldiers leaped out of the helicopters and made their way to ground level where they gathered in the car park before leaving in a convoy.
And in 2024, they caused a stir when they abseiled onto the roof of County Hall in Preston. The choppers hung in the air while shadowy figures zipped down 20ft from a cable to the council offices below. A demonstration of the iconic SAS manoeuvre known as ‘fast-roping’.
Blackpool Council were approached for comment.
Who are the SAS?
The SAS are a special forces unit of the British Army that specialises in counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, special reconnaissance, and other special ops roles including protecting the Royal Family.
The SAS are renowned as one of the world’s elite special forces and their soldiers are selected after completing a gruelling selection process testing their physical fitness, endurance, and extreme mental aptitude.
Their Dauphin helicopters are painted in civilian colours to allow them to move around the UK quickly and secretly.