The pilot of a light aircraft, a microlight, which crashed yesterday morning just inside Fermanagh from its border with Pettigo, escaped injury.

The crash message was received at Air Traffic Control at St Angelo and relayed to Police at 11.03. The caller also informed the PSNI that he had been speaking to the pilot who had assured him he was uninjured.

The aircraft and the pilot were soon retrieved. It is believed that a rescue helicopter was used in the exercise.

The exact location of the çrash could not be ascertained, despite repeated requests by the 'Herald'.

A Police spokesman said the microlight came down about two miles north east of Pettigo, close to the border between Fermanagh and Donegal. The Coastguard was involved in rescuing the pilot after the crash which took place at 10.45 am yesterday.

It was the fourth light aircraft to get into difficulties in Northern Ireland since the weekend. On Monday, a light plane with two people onboard crash landed near Kilkeel. One of those onboard suffered back injuries, while the other was unhurt.

One pilot had to make an emergency landing at City of Derry airport after his plane developed difficulties on Sunday afternoon.

Meanwhile, another pilot and his passenger escaped injury after their plane made an emergency landing near Dungannon at about 1200 BST on Sunday.