A tug boat ferrying a large object at sea has been mistaken for a crashed plane off the Spanish Island of Gran Canaria.

The tug boat ferrying a large object at sea has been mistaken for a crashed plane off the Spanish Island of Gran Canaria

Local media said an aircraft had plunged into the sea close to the island and rescue services were sent to the scene.

The Spanish authorities quickly revealed the alert was a false alarm.

Pictures of a tug boat taken from the shore showed a large white structure that at a distance resembled an aircraft’s fuselage.