A flaring light in the sky above Ellesmere Port captivated onlookers on Tuesday night.

Gloomy clouds above were illuminated orange and yellow by the burning off of oil at Stanlow Oil Refinery from 6pm onwards.

Views of the pulsing blaze could be caught from across the borough, with reports coming in from Chester, Frodsham and even more than 15 miles away in Broxton.

Tweets flooded in at the spectacular spooky sight with some wondering if there was a problem at the plant.

Essar, who run the refinery, said there was no cause for concern and it was all part of maintenance.

An Essar spokesman said: “There was a controlled flaring at the Stanlow last night as part of planned maintenance work at the refinery.”

Flaring from the plant last made headlines in February 2014, when units were shut down because of an issue with the steam supply.

Did you see the light above Ellesmere Port on Tuesday night? What was your reaction? Let us know in the comments below.