UFO sighting linked to shortest day

UFO experts in the county today said the strange lights over Shropshire during the festive period may well have been extra-terrestrial activity and not, as suggested, party lanterns.

Philip Hoyle, of the UFO Investigation and Research Unit in Shrewsbury, said although many people put the lights down to Chinese lanterns and aircraft, this time of year did see an increase in UFOs.

He said: "I have been inundated with sightings from across the country in the last two to three weeks, especially people seeing orange lights.

"People think it is lanterns, but lanterns do not move like the lights in the skies are recorded as moving.

"Globally it is usually a high incident time around December 21, we do not know why, but this is the shortest day.

"For some reason the Shropshire area has always been a very active area over the past 55 to 60 years.

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"We know that from official documents."

Mr Hoyle urged people to report strange and unusual incidents in the area to him, anonymously if they prefer.

"These lights are an unknown," he said. "One lady in Chile spotted a group of lights and caught them on a video, these same group of lights were then seen by a woman from Montford Bridge."

Mr Hoyle can be contacted on (01743) 245574 or alternatively by e-mail at phil.hoyle@yahoo.co.uk

UFO Investigation and Research Unit is made up of a team of researchers that investigate local sightings, crop circles, animal mutilations and specialise in abduction contact cases.