PRESIDENT Barack Obama has begun his visit to Britain for the Nato summit less than 15 miles from Swindon this evening.

Air Force One, the president's USAF passenger jumbo jet touched down at RAF Fairford near Cirencester at around 6.45pm, having set off from Estonia on the Baltic earlier today.

From the Boeing 747, Mr Obama walked to Marine One, his helicopter transport, for the short trip to Newport in Wales.

Four MV-22 aircraft and two VH60N Nighthawk helicopters from the US Marines Corps' HMX-1 squadron have been deployed to RAF Fairford since the weekend and caused excitement in south wales and Gloucestershire when conducting familiarisation missions on Monday.

Mr Obama will attend the two-day summit of more than 120 heads of state and ministers in Cardiff and Newport on Thursday and Friday.

As well as official talks, a banquet in Cardiff Castle, press conferences and photo calls, the president will visit a school in Wales along with Prime Minister David Cameron.