ground to sky lightning bolt with faint crackling

unbelievable, like someone holding a white elastic band and letting it go from the bottom from ground to sky, only this was from the river Mersey estuary (over looking John Lennon airport I am very familiar with all types of aircraft but this was not from our world it looked like some kind of gel if that doesn't sound stupid very frightening and vanished into a very clear sky at tremendous speed crackling sound heard also.