A loud bang startled a Princes Risborough resident when an unidentified object crashed onto her barn roof in the early hours of the morning.

Gina Timberlake who lives in a barn conversion in the postcode area HP27 9QP reported hearing a bang at around 5am.

She noted the bang was followed by a sliding sound on the roof and then a thud when it hit the ground.

Despite suspecting a slate had broken off, a quick inspection didn't reveal any evidence.

Instead, Gina found a piece of black rock lying on her gravel path on Sunday, with the incident leaving her roof undamaged.

She speculates it may have been a meteor.

Gina said: "I was woken with a sudden jump with a loud bang on my roof.

"I live in a barn conversion and the bedroom ceiling is vaulted, so the bang did sound extra loud.

"The bang was followed by something sliding down the slate roof and then a noise when it hit the gravel path below.

"I got out of bed and found a torch, suspecting a slate had for some reason exploded, slipped and fallen to the ground. It was still dark and I couldn’t see any evidence of a fallen slate.

"I went to investigate and found no damage to the roof, but found this lump of lightweight rock on the ground."

Gina said she has reported the incident to the Met Office.

She said: "Meteors are much heavier and have a high metal content, so you can test this with a magnet.  This piece of rock doesn’t react to a magnet. 

"So at the moment, it is completely baffling as to how this lump of whatever it is, came to hit the roof here." 

The British Geological Survey has been contacted for more information.