Well-timed photographs have captured what appears to look like a 'flying ship' over Folkestone harbour.

The pictures were taken by Pat Cocks, of The Leas, at a time when the blue of the sea and the sky merged into one.

This resulted in a ship in the water actually looking like it was in the sky.

Mrs Cocks said: "I was out on my balcony and looking out and saw two ships.

"The sky and sea were blended and everything was blue.

"It was like a mirage in the sky over Folkestone harbour.

"I couldn't quite believe it. It's like a whiteout in a storm, except this was a blueout."

A whiteout refers to a severe storm condition when the sky is overcast and the ground is snow-covered, and so the landscape may appear entirely white, with no visible horizon.

Mrs Cocks added: "I quickly grabbed my camera and took the pictures, that's why they might be a bit out of focus.

"But I didn't want to miss the phenomenon."

It is not the first time a strange object has appeared over Folkestone.

Last year, a cloud in the shape of a foot with five toes was spotted in the sky above The Leas.

Elsewhere in the county, a face with two eyes appeared in the sky over the Sandhurst Vineyard in Cranbrook in 2018.

And a tunnel of cloud was spotted over the Isle of Grain in 2015 as the dramatic skyline was lit up by a strong sunrise.

Read more: All the latest news from Folkestone