Dossier reveals UFO sightings in the county

Published on 04/08/2007

THE truth is out there in Cumbria after government X-Files revealed a hive of UFO activity.

Witnesses claim to have seen circular flashing lights in Ulverston in August 1999.

And in February 2000, two bright lights were spotted above Bowness.

Other sightings include a bright metal star with no jet stream seen in Keswick in October 2000, a bright star moving around like a kite in Storth, near Milnthorpe, in May 2004, and a UFO over Kendal in 2005.

The most recent was on September 13, last year, in Whitehaven at 9.45pm.

It is recorded as “a triangular object with lights. One green, one red and the other two amber. There was a strange droning noise as it passed overhead”.

The dossier of information was revealed by the Ministry of Defence, under the Freedom of Information Act.

Every year more than 100 UFO sightings are reported to the MoD, which are detailed in the information just published.

An MoD spokesman said they examine reports solely to establish whether UK airspace may have been compromised by hostile or unauthorised military activity. The spokesman said: “If required, sighting reports are examined with the assistance of the department’s air defence experts. Unless there is evidence of a potential threat, there is no attempt to identify the nature of each sighting reported.”

Correspondence between the MoD and members of the public who report sightings of strange objects reveals that Whitehall officials remain “totally open-minded” about the existence of UFOs.

The Evening Mail has reported several sightings in recent years.

A Barrow family claimed they had a close encounter with a possible UFO while enjoying a takeaway in April.

Janice Jackson of Devon Street, Barrow, saw bright lights in the sky lasting about 15 seconds, before the light show passed overhead and on towards Roose.

In 2005, we reported how Sharon Debenham, of Sycamore Avenue, Ulverston, caught on camera a strange silver shape in the sky, which she believed was a UFO.

Details of the UFO sightings by members of the public between 1999 and 2006 were released in response to a series of Freedom of Information requests.

It comes as the MoD prepares to publish its UFO files dating back to 1967.

The documents due for release are witness reports of apparent UFO sightings, many by civil pilots and military personnel.

It is thought most were simply collected and filed by a small, secret unit within defence intelligence, but a few were investigated further by the military.

There are 24 files due for release, each containing 200-300 reports of sightings, plus internal MoD briefings and correspondence.