A Typhoon fighter jet came within 600ft of colliding with a glider after the pilot "did not see it", the Echo can reveal.

The plane was carrying out a training exercise of "aggressive manoeuvres", which almost resulted in a mid-air smash.

Details have been released by the UK Airprox Board, which looks into incidents on behalf of the Civil Aviation Authority.

Reports from the Grob Astir glider pilot described how he "heard a roar from his right side and saw the fighter jet coming towards him from below".

The Eurofighter, from RAF Coningsby, then passed "very close" on his right side, with the belly of the jet facing the glider.

Fear over the power and speed of the Typhoon meant the glider pilot was unable to move.

Instead, he was forced to stay in position at 7,000ft for two minutes until it flew away.

The jet pilot was also carrying a pilot passenger in the rear sea, but neither saw the glider.

The Airprox report said: "Since the Typhoon pilots did not see the glider and, despite early visual contact, the glider pilot was unable to take any effective avoiding action due to the Typhoon's manoeuvring."

But it did add that the RAF pilots were probably not expecting to see a glider at that height – despite the airspace being registered as in use by gliders prior to the Typhoons taking off.

The incident was given a category A degree of risk, meaning there was a strong chance a collision could have happened.

Details of the near-miss took place in Northumberland airspace on July 2 last year, although details have only just been released.