A CROP circle believed to be Dorset's first of the year has appeared.

Observers said the formation, which resembles a Celtic design, has appeared in a field at Thornicombe near Blandford and can be observed from the A354.

Crop circles, or crop formations, are patterns produced by flattening crops. Experts agree they are man-made although some people claim there are mysterious forces behind the patterns.

The amount of crop circles in the UK has declined over recent years.

An impressive crop circle which appeared in a field in Dorset last year, again near Blandford, made national headlines.

These latest images were taken by the team at MrGyro.co.uk, an aerial and ground photography company. The team used a quadcopter to take the aerial shots.

A spokesman for the team said many of the ones they photograph are in Wiltshire but they have been appearing in Dorset more often.

The spokesman said: “People seem to be very interested in crop circles so we try to photo them when we hear about them.

“It’s amazing to see the different designs.

“There are about 50 - 60 crop circles a year in the UK. Some are very small and simple but some are huge with very complicated designs.

“There were two or three in Dorset last year and they were very interesting designs.”