A FAULTY warning light on a Tornado led to a little drama off the Fife coast last night.

The 56 Squadron aircraft was undertaking a routine night flight exercise when a cockpit indicator warned of a rear fuselage fire.

Despite there being no other evidence that anything was amiss, the pilot followed safety procedures, declared a Mayday and cut short the flight.

A search and rescue helicopter was dispatched from RAF Boulmer in Northumberland while a second was made ready at Kinloss. The coastguard put the Arbroath and Montrose lifeboats on standby while the Broughty Ferry vessel was launched.

With all precautionary steps thus taken, the Tornado touched down safely at Leuchars just after 7 pm.

Technicians quickly established that the warning indication had been spurious.

An RAF spokesman said, “It was a text book response to a Level 2 emergency.”