Weather delays flypast rehearsal

Friday's event will be the largest since a Silver Jubilee review in 1977

A rehearsal of a Royal flypast involving nearly 90 RAF aircraft over Gloucestershire has been postponed due to bad weather.

A spokesman said the rehearsal would now take place on Tuesday when the weather is expected to have improved.

The Queen is to present new colours to the RAF at the Royal International Air Tattoo at Fairford on Friday.

The ceremony, involving about 5,000 guests, will mark the 90th anniversary of the Royal Air Force.

The practice flight formation will follow a route north-west to south-east, passing east of Cheltenham, Gloucester and Cirencester.

The Queen's Colour was last presented to the Royal Air Force in the UK at RAF Marnham, Norfolk, in 1993.

Friday's event will be the largest staged since Her Majesty conducted a Silver Jubilee review of the air force at RAF Finningley in South Yorkshire in 1977.