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A pensioner has likened Yeovil to a warzone as she says helicopters "like thunder" were constantly flying right above her home.

Patricia Lee-Allen said she thought she was going crazy after dealing with the "non-stop" low flying earlier this month - with helicopters passing right above her rooftop every five minutes all day.

Ms Lee-Allen has lived at The Crescent in Yeovil, 600 metres from the Leonardo Helicopters airfield, for 20 years but she believes the noise on October 16 and 17 was unprecendented.

A spokesman for the company has responded, stating that those days were "particularly busy", and added that Leonardo was not able to notify residents of this.

(Image: Len Copland)

Ms Lee Allen said: "The helicopters were flying almost non-stop directly over my property for two and half days.

"It was a tremendous noise, like thunder, and it was right overhead.

"I could almost see the men in there, they were so close to the ground.

"I didn't know what it was all about."

The pensioner says the loud noise was so disruptive she decided to note down a long list of some of the helicopters that were flying right above her home.

She said: "It was constant loud rumbling overhead - it seemed like it was every five minutes - and it got so annoying that I made a list of the times and how many there were.

"It started on Wednesday October 16, the times I have are 5.35pm, 5.45pm, 5.55pm, 7.30pm, 7.35pm, 8.05pm, 8.15pm, and 9pm.

"Then on Thursday I have 9.30am, 12.25pm, 1.05pm, 1.10pm, 1.15pm, 2.15pm, 2.25pm, 3.15pm, 3.25pm, 3.30pm, 5.10pm, 5.15pm, 8.40pm, 9pm, 9.20pm."

Despite having lived at the property since the 1990s, Ms Lee-Allen says flying to and from the Leonardo Helicopters airfield has never been this frequent or this loud.

She said: "I thought I was going crazy with it all, as I spend a lot of time in the house.

"I have lived here for 20 years quite peacefully, but this was like a warzone.

"They do normally come over from time to time of course, but this is just unprecedented.

"In all the years I have lived here I have seen absolutely nothing like this."

The pensioner added that although the flying has returned to normal levels, she never wants to experience disruption like that again.

She said: "It has stopped now, it was two and a half days of constant noise, every five minutes in the afternoon and evening.

"I just can't bear this, and I hope it doesn't happen again."

Leonardo Helicopters responds

A spokesman for Leonardo Helicopters said: “Night flying remains an essential part of Leonardo Helicopters' operations as it helps ensure the continuing success of the business and the Yeovil economy.

"Whilst Yeovil has grown up around the site over the past 100 years, we have always recognised the importance of managing such activity to balance business needs with any inconvenience it may cause to the local community.

"October 16 and 17 were particularly busy days. For operational reasons regrettably we were not able to notify neighbours of this."

The spokesman added: "However, we can assure residents that our highly trained test pilots and qualified helicopter instructors fly at all times in full compliance with the Civil Aviation Authority’s robust safety limits, including minimum altitude requirements, and Leonardo Helicopters will of course continue to comply with all aspects of these regulations.

"We would wish to extend our thanks to the residents of Yeovil for their continuing support and forbearance when we are undertaking essential flying operations."

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