A Ross couple who planned a birthday surprise with a difference, did not expect it to be quite so exciting. The couple, who wish to remain anonymous, were on board the French-built Robin plane, when it made a controlled emergency landing near to Ross last week.

One of the passengers told the Ross Gazette:?"At first I thought the pilot was joking, but when I heard him make a call for assistance I realised something really was wrong. However, he was brilliant, although landing in a ploughed field was a little choppy. What was so amazing was how the sky overhead filled with all sorts of aircraft responding to the pilot's call.

"The crew of a large helicopter stopped and spoke to us, then took us back to Gloucester airport where we enjoyed a welcome cup of tea," he added. The incident has not detered the couple from flying – they were planning another trip at the weekend.

For more stories in full please see this week's Ross Gazette.