One of the Russian bomber intercepted by fighter jets off Bournemouth was carrying a nuclear missile, a national newspaper has claimed. 

The pair of 92-ton 500mph Tupolev Tu-95 bombers - nicknamed the Bear - encroached too close to Britain on Wednesday in a highly-unusual manoeuvre.

RAF Typhoon jets from Lossiemouth in Scotland were scrambled to deal with the incident, the likes of which an RAF expert said had not been seen for at least three decades.

According to reports in today's Express, Ministry of Defence sources have now revealed that one of the bombers was carrying at least one “seek and find” nuclear-capable missile.

But Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood told the Echo: “There’s no truth in that story at all.

“It was standard for these aircraft, during the Cold War, to carry nuclear weapons.  [But] The reliability of the aircraft themselves is such that they would be taking a huge risk just to take them on board.”

 The planes did not cross into UK airspace but Russian ambassador Alexander Yakovenko was summoned to the UK on Friday after the exercise.

Mr Ellwood reiterated that the incursion had been a troubling incident

“It’s a worrying development. There’s been a series of incursions into British controlled airspace and this is the first time they’ve come on quite a long trip around Ireland and tried to fly up the coast.”