PEOPLE are complaining about a police spotter plane flying low over their village.

Residents of Middleton St George, near Darlington, say while they support the use of the aircraft to catch criminals, they believe it should not need to fly directly over their village.

The plane, which is based at Teesside International Airport, responds to incidents in County Durham and Cleveland.

Members of Middleton St George Parish Council were told this week that a complaint about the aircraft had been received from a woman in the village.

She said the plane had flown over her house at 4.10am in the morning and had nearly "lifted off my roof".

Parish councillor John Sterling, who is also a member of the Teesside airport consultative committee, said he discovered the aircraft had been flying back from Trimdon.

"A lot of people have said they are being bothered by the plane, and although we have never complained when the plane is looking after the village, it should not need to fly low when it is on its way back from other areas."

A Durham County Council spokesman said a silencer for the police plane was being developed.

"We are very sensitive to the way the aircraft is operated, particularly when it flies over urban areas.

"The plane does make a noise, and it is for that reason we vary flight paths and ensure we don't fly over the same areas all the time."

Coun Sterling told the council that a dossier on low-flying aircraft over the villages of Middleton St George and Middleton One Row has been compiled and is being sent to the Civil Aviation Authority, Deputy Prime Minister and Environment Secretary John Prescott, and Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is also MP for the village.

The council hopes it will enforce procedures preventing aircraft, particularly those from the flying clubs at Teesside airport, from flying low over the community.