A Chinook helicopter was stranded in a field for days after technical problems forced it to make a hasty landing

A Chinook helicopter was stranded in a field for four days after making a precautionary landing following a suspected hydraulic failure.

Boeing CH-47D ZA 671 is being guarded by the RAF in the middle of a field at Bere Regis, Dorset, while it undergoes an “engineering assessment”.

It is believed to have been taking part in a large training exercise off the south coast involving six helicopters when the technical problem arose on Wednesday.

An eyewitness said there were attempts to get the Chinook moving on Friday, but the hydraulic line apparently broke.

The Chinook is in a field less than 100 metres from the busy A31 road and not far from a Shell garage.

It is believed to have originated from RAF Odiham in Hants and is starting to attract crowds of plane spotters who stop to take a look.

The Ministry of Defence says it hopes to resolve the problem by the end of the weekend.

Lewis Johnstone, 20, from Poole, who works for a military engineering firm, said: ‘The Chinook crashed on Wednesday afternoon or evening while taking part in a major exercise taking place along the whole of the south coast involving six helicopters.

‘I think it fell because of a hydraulic problem.

‘I went to see it on Friday after hearing about the Chinook in a Facebook group.

‘They were carrying out ground checks on the helicopter and then they started it up.

“When they started it up again, the hydraulic pipe broke, so they stopped it and I imagine it will be there under surveillance for a few more days.”

The RAF is currently reducing the number of its CH-47s from 60 to 51, and it is estimated that replacing each Chinook costs around £30m.

A MoD spokesman said: “The Chinook has made a precautionary landing. We are in the process of carrying out an engineering assessment.”