A UFO sighting along the north Northumberland coast may have a more down-to-earth – or up in the sky – explanation, according to a retired headteacher.
Aircraft buff Alec Swailes, from Rothbury, says mystery lights seen hovering above Low Newton Links by two caravanners on June 24 may have been nothing more than makeshift hot-air balloons, rather than alien spacecraft.
Military radar operators at
nearby RAF Boulmer have already suggested that the glowing golden orbs could have been caused by reflections from fishing boats projected onto clouds.
The witnesses, from Newcastle, watched in astonishment as the 12 eerie lights made patterns in the night sky before fading out.
But the former Ashington school-master says that his recent trip to the Battle of Britain Flight at RAF Conningsby in Lincolnshire has offered another alternative.
“My wife and I were also caravanning when we spotted a golden ball of light passing by outside,” said Mr Swailes. “We rushed outside and watched it drift high above the Lincolnshire countryside, towards Boston, for about half-an-hour. It looked exactly like what was described by the couple in the Gazette article.”
It quickly emerged that fellow aviation enthusiasts had rigged up the device themselves - using nothing more than a bin-bag, some soft wire and a firelighter to lift it into the sky.
l If you can help solve the mystery, contact the Gazette on 01665 602234.
The full article contains 240 words and appears in Northumberland Gazette newspaper.
