27 January 2006
SPOOKED residents have reported seeing mysterious UFOs in the skies above Harborough and Lutterworth, the Ministry of Defence has revealed.
A large black triangular aircraft with three bright lights was spotted above Harborough's skies at 2pm on Friday, January 9, 2004, according to MoD documents disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act (FoI).
The strange object was also said to have made a rumbling noise.
It is not the first time mysterious objects have been spotted in Harborough's heavens, but it is the first time the existence of such sightings being logged in Government files has come to light.
In 1996 and 1997 scores of people reported seeing strange objects in Harborough in nine separate incidents. About three years later, in 2000, there were three more reports of UFO sightings.
The MoD said a witness also spotted a UFO with flashing lights in Lutterworth on Monday, September 20, 2004.
UFO enthusiast Gary Anthony (40), of East Yorkshire, who submitted the initial FoI requests to the MoD, said: "In 95 per cent of cases UFO reports can be put down to a natural or explainable phenomenon. In other incidents, there seems to be no rational explanation. I am not saying it's alien spaceships or flying saucers but these people have obviously felt scared enough to report the incidents to the MoD."
Insp Mick Norman, of Harborough police, said: "People do occasionally report this type of incident to the police as a first port of call.
"Our response is very much dictated by what the individual thinks they have seen. "People can be confused sometimes when aircraft is heading in their direction because it can appear as if the lights are remaining static, when in fact they are moving very quickly."
27 January 2006
