IT might be the 50th anniversary year of BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who, but even then you would not expect to see a TARDIS flying through the sky near Hatherleigh - but that is exactly what happened thanks to three local lads.

Ben Bailey, Ben Whiting and Rupert Brandon-King used propellors to power their replica of the famous time machine into the skies near Hatherleigh. The maiden voyage had been going well, with the TARDIS making it to 100 feet in the air, before a gust of wind brought it crashing back to earth.

The three friends run Flyonix, a company that undertakes aerial cinematography for the film, surveying and commercial industries.

In 2012, the team created a striking television campaign for travel rewards firm Avios, with a series of adverts that saw household objects fly up into the sky.

The TARDIS — a striking seven foot polystyrene replica — is the biggest object the Flyonix lads have launched in the air to date.

A faithful recreation modelled on the TARDIS of the Eleventh Doctor, portrayed by Matt Smith, the TARDIS was even decked out with lights, and the St John Ambulance sticker on the door.

Whereas the Doctor's TARDIS relies on the time vortex and the Eye of Harmony to fly, the Flyonix team got theirs to fly with twelve tiny motors and propellors.

Ben Bailey was the driving force behind the idea.

'After we did the Avios adverts ages ago, it felt it was time to do something a bit bigger.' Mr Bailey said.

'The maiden voyage wasn't the best, as it crashed to the ground pretty spectacularly. It was pretty windy, so maybe it wasn't the best idea to fly it that day.

'The TARDIS seemed like the right thing to do in the 50th anniversary year of the programme. The other two lads aren't such big fans of the show as I am, but I am dragging them in to it!'