Mysterious loud bangs - some of which rattled windows - were heard in Leicestershire and across the country last night.
People from as far afield as Glasgow and London reported hearing the noises at about 10.30pm.
Iain Thornton tweeted: "heard many bangs earlier Leicestershire - thought it was fireworks."
While Jay Norton wrote on Twitter: "Heard in Leicestershire too. Thought it was fireworks. maybe not so it seems."
On Facebook, Laura Marlow said she had heard the noises in Birstall, while Sam Scott said he had heard them in Rushey Mead.
Amy Mould wrote: "Loud bangs heard in Melton Mowbray early hours sat morning, my neighbour asked me cus it woke her children."
The noises have been described as sounding like a loud aircraft or fireworks - and some people have suggested it could have been a sonic boom.
However the Ministry of Defence has been reported as saying it does not know what could the noises and denied that its own jets were responsible for the strange sounds.
Leicestershire Fire Rescue Service and the police say they did not receive any inquiries from people in Leicestershire wondering what the noises were.
A Met Police spokesman told the Daily Mirror, that apart from a fireworks display in Croydon, it was deailing with no ongoing incidents that could have been responsible for the bangs.
Did you hear the bangs in Leicestershire last night? Let us know in the comments section below - or tweet us as @Leicester_Merc
