British UFO chief finds evidence credible

LONDON, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- The former head of the British military's UFO program says that studying the evidence convinced him aliens are out there -- and could come here.

Nick Pope recently left the Directorate of Defense Security at the Ministry of Defense, The Guardian reports. As a private citizen, he feels free to discuss the views he formed while heading the UFO project -- which has since been disbanded -- between 1991 and 1995.

He said he is especially worried because the government's "X-Files have been closed down."

"The consequences of getting this one wrong could be huge," he said. "If you reported a UFO sighting now, I am absolutely sure that you would just get back a standard letter telling you not to worry.

"Frankly we are wide open -- if something does not behave like a conventional aircraft now, it will be ignored."

Pope said that studying the files convinced him that some UFO sightings are credible -- including a large triangular shape reported in 1993 civilians and Royal Air Force personnel at bases in the Midlands.