SERIOUS questions were being asked last night about the safety of RAF flying missions in the North-East after a Tornado accidentally dropped a practice bomb.

An investigation has begun into how the 14kg bomb was lost from the Tornado GR4 fighter plane during a 90-minute training flight from RAF Lossiemouth, in Moray, Scotland.

RAF chiefs have admitted they have yet to locate the 2.5ft long, dark blue non-explosive device and have no idea when it fell from the aircraft.

The fighter jet had completed a 700-mile flight during which it flew parallel to the North-East coast and then turned inland at Amble, Northumberland, before heading back north to its base.

Last night, Liberal Democrat MP Alan Beith said: "I hope the MoD will began a full inquiry into this incident, which could have led to a fatal accident."

Mr Beith, who represents Berwick-upon-Tweed, added: "We have raised low-flying concerns before with defence ministers, but fake bombs are a new problem."

RAF aircraft regularly take part in practice missions in the North-East and make use of a low flying area known as "LFA 12", covering Northumberland, County Durham and the North-Eastern part of North Yorkshire.

The practice bombs used by some aircraft are not live devices, but are designed to look and feel like real bombs.

Made from concrete, they contain a small fuse that gives off smoke when they hit their target and are used so pilots can practise their aim for when they fly with real ammunition.

Phil Hughes, a former pilot who served with the RAF for 16 years and is now a Teesdale district councillor, living at Stainmore, County Durham, said: "I am a little bit surprised that they don't know exactly where this bomb is.

"Obviously, it is not particularly desirable for things to fall off airplanes in flight in a way that you have no control over.

"A 25lb lump of concrete travelling at 500mph would make quite a hole in something."

Mr Hughes said he himself could recall instances during his service of practice bombs accidentally falling from planes, although it was not particularly common.

The blunder is the not the first such incident involving a Tornado in the region.

In 1992, two huge fuel pods fell off a Tornado F3 shortly after it took off from RAF Leeming, near Northallerton, narrowly missing a small hamlet.

A spokesman for RAF Lossiemouth, where the aircraft involved in Wednesday's incident was based, said that an investigation had been launched.

He said: ''We are looking at electronic or mechanical issues rather than air crew error.

''When air crew drop any kind of bomb there is an electronic pulse given out which is recorded.

''There is no such record of the practice bomb being dropped by this crew.''

It said it was ''highly unlikely'' the fake bomb represented a significant danger to the public.

The spokesman added: ''Anyone who finds what they believe to be the bomb is advised not to touch the device but to inform the police of its location.''