UK UFO sightings [ June 2009] updated regularly [Part 1 of 2]
Posted by dandare on June 6, 2009
I will try and keep this up to date, with all information from the UK.
Please check back from time to time, as this will be updated regularly…If you see something that i have missed, please contact me (thanks)…..
There has been an explosion of UK UFO activity this year, mainly due to the Sun (tabloid UK newspaper) who think they are the UFO EXPERTS, seeming to print anything remotely to do with UFOs (with no facts/sensationalism and mostly no TRUTH). Unfortunately, this now seems to be spreading to other National newspapers. This month it seems to be The Telegraph’s turn at Ufology wisdom.
Are they eventually going to make UFOLOGY a complete joke?
So, many of the sightings reported are sensationalized, with usually alot of information missing.
Please keep this in mind as you view these postings from the local and national press.
I’m afraid many also fail to follow up on their initial leads, and many reports just remain forgotten.
Some incidents could be UFO balloons (please see: https://dandare.wordpress.com/2007/05/19/ufo-balloons-what-are-they/ for more details, from a previous article). There are also many other IFOs ( Identified Flying Objects they could be as well).
However, as i have said before, i am not sure what value they are to any UFO research.
1st
St Helens Today ” UFO spotted over Sutton Leach “
“ He said: “I’m into space and physics and tried to dispute what I was seeing, but I couldn’t. People might think it was a Chinese lantern, but it wasn’t – it was moving far too fast and seemed to change shape ” (extract from article).
2nd
Shropshire Star “ Skywatcher: We are not alone “
” A holidaymaker is set to prove “we are not alone” after capturing UFOs on camera across Shropshire.
Col Foster is a regular visitor to the region because, he claims, the county is a great place to spot unidentified objects in the sky ” (extract from article). video can be seen here .
The News ” Hayling Island UFO were 25 chinese lanterns ”
” About 25 were let off by friends calling themselves Spacey and Furbag in Wittering Road, on the eastern part of the island, starting at around 10pm.
More were set off in the north of the island. The miniature hot air balloons are powered by a small fuel block which takes them up into the sky before they burn out ” (extract from article).
Western Telegraph ” UFO seen over Narberth “
” Western Telegraph reader Peter Owen, from Dingle, Narberth, spotted three objects in the sky to the south of the town at around 10.15pm.
He said that the three objects, that had orange and white lights around the outside, rose above the Halken Crescent area of the town.
Two of them, which seemed to be cylindrical in shape, hovered for a few seconds before veering off to the west, gaining height rapidly ” (extract from article).
This is Grimsby ” Truth is out there for Barry “
“ Barry Haywood used to be a UFO-sceptic – but not anymore.
Because since Mr Haywood saw a bright light in the sky above his home, he is “convinced” he has seen a UFO.
Mr Haywood, 61, of Grimsby, said: “I know 100 per cent that was a UFO.
“I was sitting outside in the porch of my house at about half past 10 when I saw what I thought was an aeroplane. But it was bright orange and I thought that’s a funny colour for an aeroplane ” (extract from article).
3rd
Telegraph ” UFOs above Merseyside ‘linked to HMS Daring military exercise’ “
” UFOs seen above Merseyside may have been connected to a military exercise involving one of the Navy’s top warships, HMS Daring.
The glowing orange lights seen above Liverpool and Southport may have been countermeasure flares used to test the radar systems of huge anti-missile guns on the ship.
Countermeasure flares are designed to prevent radar-based missile systems locking on to aircraft by providing multiple targets ” (extract from article). Notice the media hype/ a new angle? any evidence for this at all/reasons why they suspect this/why no other reasons given.
Cambridgeshire Online News ” UFO sighting as public report 50 lights in sky “
” The man, who said that in addition to being a former member of the Royal Observer Corps, which had a defence role in spotting aircraft, was also an amateur astronomer who was used to watching planets, stars and satellites in the night sky.
He said they did not look like balloon lanterns which would have been blown around by the wind.
However, UK UFO Sightings said that flying Chinese lanterns were the most common form of mistaken UFO sightings and has video of an incident at Halesowen last December which was found to be lanterns ” (extract from article).
Muswell Hill Journal ” UFOs: More strange sightings in the sky “
” Chris Penny, of Colney Hatch Lane, said he saw something which looked like “an airplane on fire” with four flashing lights flitting in the sky above Muswell Hill Road for about five minutes. He said: “It was probably several hundred feet above me and moving very slowly. I thought it must have been someone messing around with a balloon ” (extract from article).
Post Chronicle ” Lights over England generate UFO buzz “
” Phil Hoyle, from the British UFO Investigation Unit, said the way the lights moved suggested an intelligence behind the display.
“If these objects were circling one another you would have to rule out that they were fireworks,” he said. “If they were dodging and darting around each other it would indicate intelligent movement” ” (extract from article).
Hunts Post 24 ” UFO patrol: strange lights seen in sky over Huntingdon “
Telegraph “ UFOs spotted in Cambridgeshire “
” Witnesses claimed to have seen up to 50 of the mystery bright beams at around 11.30pm in Huntingdon.
Scott Boswell, 37, a former pilot and soldier from nearby Hinchingbrooke, captured some of the lights on his camera ” (extract from article).
The Sun ” Twenty UFOs fly in formation “
” THIS incredible picture captured the strange sighting of more than 20 UFOs buzzing over awestruck Britain.
Stunned families watched as the lights in the sky lined up in a flying formation before disappearing upwards into space ” (extract from article).
Crewe Chronicle ” South Cheshire residents say they have seen UFOs over Crewe “
“ A number of Crewe residents have contacted the Chronicle or posted reports on the internet saying they have seen bright orange shapes appearing in the sky late at night ” (extract from article).
4th
Spalding Today ” UFOs centre on Spalding “
” Has the flat Fenland landscape, the bulb growing heritage and array of medieval churches encouraged aliens to take a holiday in South Holland?
Or has the ready availability of Chinese lanterns got a lot of people excited about nothing? ” (extract from article).
Metro.co.uk ” UFO frenzy as 15 mystery orbs seen over Uk “
“ Some reckon they may have just witnessed an armada of invading UFOs, but others say it could just be Chinese lanterns.
The most recent sightings were on Sunday in Merseyside and Lincoln.
One witness in Cambridgeshire claimed the orbs there was each as big as a house.
Engineer Paul Slight, 54, took photos on his mobile phone of the strange objects hovering over Lincoln ” (extract from article).
” UFO watchers fail to throw any light on night visitors “
“ MYSTERIOUS orange lights in the skies have baffled eyewitnesses and experts alike..[.]….
“After five minutes of moving around, the flickering yellow objects hung in the air for a second then shot off into the sky and disappeared.
“I’ve no idea what they were. I’m not usually a believer but what I saw was really weird ” ” (extracts from article).
Cambridgeshire Online News ” Lantern theory as UFO reports pour in “
” A LANTERN tribute to a woman is thought to have sparked a UFO lights mystery over Huntingdon…[.]….“Residents had reported seeing a line of up to 50 lights flying over the town, which took almost half an hour to pass.
But Suzanne Southby, from Earith, believes the lights were flying lanterns released as part of the celebrations of the life of her neighbour Kim Huckle, who had died at the age of 53” (extracts from article).
Daily Mail ” stunned onlookers watch as mysterious orange UFOs swoop across Britain’s skies “
” Darting silently in formation, the mysterious glowing orbs light up the night sky.
Some say these orange lights even weave in between each other with the precision of a synchronised flying team from some far corner of the universe.
Clusters of more than 100 have been spotted across Britain and even Holland, leaving onlookers with an eerie sense that, for all the mystifying beauty of the strange objects, they may have just witnessed an armada of invading UFOs ” (extract from article).
Mirror News ” Amazing pictures of UFOs spotted all over Britain “
” Up to 50-strong, they have been spotted in at least THREE locations over the last nine days… leading to speculation of a possible close encounter with aliens ” (extract from article).
Worthing Herald “ East Worthing woman’s UFO puzzler “
“ Curious, the woman continued to watch the light and was amazed when it sharply turned back on itself and began heading west.
“This was when I realised it was something unusual,” said the woman.
“I was about to dash inside to grab my camera when it suddenly stopped, lit up really brightly and expanded in size, into a huge silver/white ball, at least five or six times bigger than it started ” (extract from article).
Louth Leader ” Sighting of bright pink UFO with rays of light “
” “When my husband looked through the binoculars he said ‘it’s not a hot air balloon, it has a dome on the top and rays coming down off it’ ” (extract from article).
Evening Star 24 ” New UFO mystery sweeps country “
Wiltshire Times ” Mysterious lights over Wiltshire “
” Readers have been inundating the Wiltshire Times with calls and emails regarding their sightings of the strange orange orbs which have been seen speeding through the sky silently.
Father and son Lee and Brian Fox were at home in Warminster on Saturday evening when at around 10.26pm when they saw three bright orange lights ” (extract from article).
Lincolnshire Echo ” Aliens? No, just a wedding party “
” The glowing, floating “UFOs” were spotted above the West Parade area of Lincoln as they coursed across the sky.
National newspapers the Sun, the Telegraph and the Daily Mail all picked up the story.
But now newlyweds, Clare and Adrian Bower (31), have said they were responsible for the “alien invasion” ” (extract from article).
County Times ” More UFOs over Montgomeryshire ”
Daily Star ” Space Invaders ”
” Amazed witnesses in Cheshire, Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire spotted eerie lights and glowing orange orbs.
They said more than 20 strange lights appeared in a flying formation before disappearing into space ” (extract from article).
5th
Evening Telegraph ” Are they UFOs? “
“ On Saturday the Wright family saw a strange object moving over their homes.
Danielle Wright said: “Between 11.30pm and 12.20am myself and friends and family members spotted a circular, orange light flying through the sky silently, but it appeared to be going really fast” ” (extract from article).
Channel 4 News ” Wedding sparks UFO sightings “
” Chinese lanterns set off from a wedding party led to a number of UFO sightings and even made the national news.
Residents of Lincoln were shocked to see dozens of spooky orange lights floating together across the night’s sky.
But Clare Bower, 28, believes the celestial phenomena were actually sky lanterns set off by her wedding reception guests ” (extract from article).
Peterborough Today ” Mystery lights in sky ‘as big as building’ “
” Last night it emerged a woman has contacted her local newspaper to claim that the lights over Lincoln were Chinese lanterns – mini hot-air balloons – set off at her wedding reception.
Malcolm Robinson from Strange Phenomena Investigations has been looking into weird sightings in the sky since 1979.
He said: “The sightings of lights traversing England recently are quite puzzling, but the vast majority are probably Chinese lanterns.”
He said when released by people at outdoor parties, they are whipped up by wind currents and lifted high in the sky, taking on an eerie appearance ” (extract from article).
Northampton Chronicle & Echo ” Are strange orange lights UFOs? “
” Mr York said the orange light flew towards him and then flickered, passed in front of the moon and then split into two.
He said: “It could have been something burning up but it was flying perfectly well until it split.
“It is just unexplained to me and is not like anything I have seen before,” he added ” (extract from article).
Grimsby Telegraph ” Tracking down answers to UFO mystery “
” But David Patton, 51, of Suggitts Lane, Cleethorpes, thinks he has found the answer – a red LED, or a light emitting diode, with batteries and a burst balloon which he discovered on the pavement near his home.
He said: “It was just lit up on the pavement. At first I thought it was one of those lights you hang on a dog collar.
“Maybe there are other ones in a different colour, or from a distance it might look orange.
“That LED is quite bright. If you’ve got that inside a balloon it’s going to show up quite well. I reckon that’s the UFO people have been reporting” ” (extract from article). Interesting….
ITN video ” Wedding sparks UFO sightings “
” Residents of Lincoln were shocked to see dozens of spooky orange lights floating together across the night’s sky.
But Clare Bower, 28, believes the celestial phenomena were actually sky lanterns set off by her wedding reception guests.
The lanterns, which rise using the warmth of a candle, originated in China but are now sold around the world for events such as weddings ” (extract from article).
Dunstable Today ” UFO truth revealed? ”
” Graham, who lives in Havelock Road, said: “I just happened to go outside and saw what I thought was an aircraft on fire. It was very high up and was heading towards the airport, I was very concerned and didn’t know whether to call the authorities. I saw another man and pointed them to him, and then we saw that they were actually toy air balloons with candles in, like Chinese lanterns, perhaps it was something to do with the next day’s carnival ” (extract from article).
6th
This is Gloucestershire ” UFO buzz hits Gloucester “
“ “I counted them and they had a fuzzy haze around them.
“The speed was very difficult to determine but they moved across the sky and out of sight in 20 or 30 seconds.
“I tried to count them and got to about 12 but there were more going off into the distance.
“There were possibly about 20.”
Others have reported seeing the same sight on a national UFO website as well ” (extract from article).
Times Colonist ” Missing the good old days of UFOs and green men “
“ He identified it as unidentifiable. Which was enough for a hyperbolic page one headline, something like “Quick! Run for your lives! We’re about to be eaten by aliens.”
I still thought it looked like a Frisbee, but since everyone else thought it was a flying saucer, who was I to quibble? Plus I got to stay in a fancy hotel in Chicago, in the days when newspapers still sent reporters out of town ” (extract from article).
7th
8th
Norwich Evening News 24 ” Did you see a UFO over Norwich “
” A yellowish white object in the sky has been spotted, prompting calls for witnesses to the mysterious sighting to come forward.
William Pleass, of Earlham Green Lane, spotted the object from his bedroom window this morning (Monday) at about 2.45am ” (extract from article).
The Hunts Post ” One UFO mystery solved as another one appears ”
The Argus ” UFO sightings across Sussex “
” Bright lights in the skies over Sussex have prompted a raft of reports of UFOs.
Dozens of people have seen the flaming orbs floating overhead in the past two weeks.
The strange sight has led to numerous calls to the police and to The Argus.
But the spotters are clearly divided into two camps.
On one side are those who cannot explain what they saw and who believe the fiery phenomenon could be proof of alien life visiting our planet.
But for others there is a more down to earth explanation – they are simply Chinese lanterns ” (extract from article).
Evening News 24 ” UFO mystery hots up over Suffolk skies ”
“ A flurry of reports have been posted on The Evening Star website after a former soldier said he saw 100 glowing orbs less than two miles above his house near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire last month.
Responding the serviceman’s experience, poster Martin Laurance said he saw something similar.
“I witnessed four very bright separately moving lights travelling in a north-easterly direction on May 16 over Bury St Edmunds,” he wrote ” (extract from article).
Edinburgh News “ Airport denies report of UFO ” [short article]
“ EDINBURGH Airport has denied claims that it referred an apparent UFO incident to the Ministry of Defence for investigation ” (extract from article).
UFO Online by dandare 
Simon said
Has anybody methodically worked through all this to determine the liklihood of any of these sightings NOT being Chineese lanterns? All; I hear about these days is reports of orange lights int he sky. Could they all be down to these mini hot air balloons? If not could somebody sort the wheat out from the chaff so we can see what we have to work with?
dandare said
Thanks Simon for a sensible question, in which there is no easy answer…. i am not aware of anybody who is doing this at the moment; to be fair this would be a very large undertaking, and they would also need to speak to the witnesses, to assess the sightings (possibly through e-mail), and then way up the evidence…
Most papers jump on the band wagon, and try and gut the facts, to make a sensational headline, to pump the hype of UFOs… mainly to get readership/sell papers. It is also the silly season (slow news around) so are fillers…..
I would love to undertake this, but unfortunately i just do not have the time, i’m afraid…. also many others are in the same boat, i’m afraid, and do this as a part time concern (after work and so on).
Although i have not answered you’re question, i will try and write an article on this, at a later date… I only try to keep a record of the sightings (like above), and show that the media are not the people to turn to for the truth/analysis (although they sometimes surprise.me)…
Also, sightings are held by different ufo groups……not interconnected with each other. Also some local papers are more active on ufo sightings than others…. therefore some areas seem to be more active than others.
Also those sightings above, i have left mainly for everyone to draw their own conclusions, although i sometimes add things of my own, at the start and finish.
Basically, before i wafffle on for ever…. there is no actual answer to your question? however, the chinese lanterns are definately the in thing in the UK, also veriants on this, with LED lights and so on.
Dave said
I was sat in my garden last night around about 10:34pm and i spotted a round orange ball flying threw the sky! It was quiet big but was moving at different speeds, i would stop and then start again again!! Then after about 20 seconds it shot off and the light just disappeared!! The thing was, it was silent and right above my head, so if it was a plane etc.. i would have been able to hear it!! This is not the first time i have seen this near were i live either!! sound familair?
Dean said
hi we were staying at brampton mill willows caravan park over this weekend , and i saw the same thing! i couldnt believe my eyes no noise but was a fairly huge fire ball then seemed to shoot off , fire extinguishing into a tiny black object. why is there nothing reported on the news ???
Carol said
I would never have believed anyone if I hadn’t seen it for myself. About 10:30pm on Saturday night my daughter shouted that she could see something in the sky. What we witnessed was amazing! A huge orange/yellow ball of what looked like flames cruising across the sky making no sound, we ran to the front of the house where it had appeared to change direction and looked more like a light, it went up higher into sky and disappeared. Not expecting to see anything else but going back into the back garden we were amazed to see another 4 sightings each within 2 minute intervals and followed exactly the same pattern. I hammered on the windows to get everyone out to see, because no one was going to believe it unless they saw it for themselves. My daughter tried to video it on her mobile, but it only looks like a small light in the sky, with frantic screaming from us. We were buzzing!
Mya said
Yes, we saw orange lights last night – don’t know where Dave comes from but here in north devon four of us saw a cluster of orange lights out to the west around about 11.30 pm. They moved slowly, changed from ball shapes to cylinder shapes and back again, and we watched them for about 5 minutes in all before they vanished.
They seemed to be a long way off, and for some reason I couldn’t seem to focus my binoculars on them – the image stayed hazy no matter what I did. They were not planes or helicopters, and behaving in the way they did and being the size they appeared to be, I don’t see how they could fall into the chinese lantern category. They were something else…
Lauren said
I saw them and they made a perfect triangle, then a perfect straight line. There was three to begin with then an other one turned up. My Mum, dad, brother and sister was watching them and then they came back every 5 minuites. Mottingham.
susan said
i live in south hams devon and i saw what looked like a sparkler being pointed at me it was bright orange just before 11pm on 29th june it came towards my living room window i live in a flat 3rd floor up as it went out of sight i went outside it was very still in the sky after a while it faded out
Tracey said
Hi.. tonight i was coming home from my friends house at 12:03am and i looked up at the sky when i was standing outside her door, and i glanced up and thought i had seen a shooting star.. but then when i looked up again i seen two objects in the sky, and at first i thought yano, its the lanterns but then i really looked and the first one was abit further up than the second one, which was bright, and it wasn’t a plane or a helicopter because you would of heard it, and me my friend and her brother stood watchin them going past and as we stared at the 2nd one we could see these like short beams of light of about 3 or 4 coming out from it, and then it disappeared through a cloud and as i watched the sky i could just see it still floating and then disappeared completely.. i was astonished, and i know that it wasn’t the lantern cause i had used them before and they get to a certain height and go out.. but this was really high up.. then we got really freaked out
Glenda said
Tuesday 24th August 09 10.10pm my hubby and I saw a large orange light in the sky which at first we thought must be a helicopter but as it came closer we realised it wasn’t as there was no sound and it was moving too fast. I thought of the lanterns but again, think this was moving too fast and it stayed at the same height as it moved from west to east then disappeared into the distance. It looked like a fireball, was perfectly round and silent. I would like to know if anyone else in Glasgow saw it. Really strange to see.
Mike Loki said
I saw 2 of these things over nyc. They hovered too long in one place to be a chinese flying balloon.
kevin said
I was outside my friends house and these two bright orange lights high up in the sky moving quite slow and quietly went over the house and suddenly vanished.