THE mystery of a "hummingbird" sighting in the North-East has been solved.

Police officer Jonathan Stoker, from Darlington, believed he had seen the first recorded sighting of a hummingbird on the British mainland.

However, wildlife experts believe the reality is quite different - it was probably a type of moth.

PC Stoker said: "The thing I saw was about the size of a thumb and it was going from flower to flower, sticking its 'beak' in and sucking the nectar out.

"I told my work colleagues about it and they thought I had been drinking."

North-East ornithologist and Northern Echo columnist, Brian Unwin, suspected the mystery sighting was in fact a moth - a theory which has now been backed by a County Durham man who says the unusual creature visits his garden frequently to feed on his plants.

Andy Todd, of Ghent Street, Byers Green, said a hummingbird hawk moth has been a regular in his backyard - and agrees the similarities to the rainforest bird are remarkable.

He said: "I had never seen one in my life before in all my 64 years until it came to my backyard. It looks more like a bird than it does a moth. It does have a 'beak', which is as long as its antennae, and it has a tongue. If you are interested in insects it is a wonder to behold."