East of England illuminated by Northern Lights

Northern Lights were seen here in Brill, Buckinghamshire - and across much of the East

Night owls and star gazers were treated to a spectacular display of colour as the Northern Lights lit up the skies across the East of England.

Pictures of the lights, also known as aurora borealis, have flooded social media and there are likely to be further sightings on Saturday night.

They could be seen after one of the strongest geomagnetic storms for years hit Earth.

People are advised to wait until after 22:30 BST for the best views.

Hospital staff gathered to capture the lights in Cambridge

They were celebrated in Long Crendon in Buckinghamshire

Northern Lights turned the sky pink near Braintree in Essex

Northern Lights made the perfect backdrop to a church in Attleborough, Norfolk

Peterborough was turned pink and purple

Police in the east of Cambridgeshire were treated to a beautiful night sky

In Burnham on Crouch in Essex, they lit up the sky

In Martlesham, Suffolk, it seemed a good idea to point at them - after all, it's not that common to see them

Hertfordshire police officers took a moment out of the night shift to capture photos

And in Northampton, as in many other places, everyone was out with their phone cameras

Got a story? Email [e-mail] or WhatsApp [phone]