A LIFESIZED figure of Batman seen flying over Westhoughton sparked a police alert when it was mistaken for a hang-glider pilot in trouble.

Someone who watched the flight thought the pilot had lapsed into unconsciousness.

And he rang police terrified that the hang-glider was about to crash into the street.

Police officers raced to Southfield Drive, Westhoughton, and put a police helicopter on standby only to discover 62-year-old Malcolm Vickers flying a giant kite with his 6ft model of Batman attached to it.

He was blissfully unaware of the commotion he had caused.

Mr Vickers has been flying his sculptured polystyrene superhero above the town for the past three months.

But the wind was taken out of Batman's sails when police received the 999 call.

The passer-by told police: "A man appears to have become detached from his harness and appears to be dangling under a motorised hang-glider."

A police helicopter from Barton Aerodrome was alerted and police cars quickly gathered on fields at the end of Southfield Drive at 8.30pm on Monday.

But when police discovered just what had caused the alert, they told Mr Vickers that he might want to think twice about flying the kite there in such a way again.

A spokesman said: "He was advised he might want to consider not doing it again so as not to create any unnecessary alarm or distress to anybody."

Mr Vickers made the Batman figure himself and he has also made models of Superman and Elvis Presley which he has also strapped to the kite.

He said: "I go out flying the kite with a different figure fixed on every night.

"When the police approached me on Monday ,they were very angry.

"I thought they were going to arrest me.

"I was told I had caused quite a stir."

Mr Vickers, who is retired and married to faith healer Mary Malone, added: said: "I would really like to keep flying the kite, but I think I'll have to find a new spot now."

But Mr Vickers' neighbours say they want him to keep the superheroes flying high and are writing to police to ask that he be allowed tto continue his kite flying.

Philippa Beckett, aged 29,said: "Malcolm's such a lovely man.

"We all go out there and watch him flying the kite every night. The kids in the area just love it."