UFO sightings in the United Kingdom facts for kids

This article lists some well-known stories about people seeing unidentified flying objects (UFOs) in the United Kingdom. Many more sightings have become known since the UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) released its UFO reports between 2008 and 2013. In recent years, many sightings of slow-moving lights in the night sky have turned out to be Chinese lanterns. A study called Project Condign, done between 1997 and 2000, looked into all reported UFO sightings in the UK. It concluded that these sightings could be explained by people mistaking normal objects or natural events for something unknown.

Early UFO Sightings in the UK

Mysterious Lights in the Sky: 12th and 13th Centuries

• 1113: Fiery Dragon in the Sky

* In South West England, religious travelers reported seeing a glowing, fire-breathing "dragon." They said it came out of the sea, flew into the air, and then vanished into the sky.

• January 1254: A Ship in the Sky

* In St. Albans, England, a writer described a glowing, floating light. He wrote that in a clear sky, with stars shining and a crescent moon, "a kind of large ship elegantly shaped, well equipped and of marvellous colour" suddenly appeared.

• 1290: The Byland Abbey Hoax

* Friars at Byland Abbey supposedly described a "flat, round shining silvery object" flying above them. However, this report was later found to be a trick made up by two teenagers in the 1950s.

UFO Sightings in the 20th Century

The 1940s: Wartime Wonders

• February 1942: Cheltenham's Oval Object

* A woman named Eileen Arnold was walking in Cheltenham. She felt like she entered "another reality." She then saw a large oval shape moving slowly above the rooftops. It had lights coming from holes in its side and quills that detached, also glowing. After this, Eileen believed she had psychic abilities.

• September 1942: The Radar Site Encounter

* Albert Lancaster, a guard at a radar site near Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Northumberland, believed he was taken by aliens. He felt a strong urge to go outside and look at the sky. He saw a glowing light surrounded by dark mist. Thinking it was a German weapon, he went to raise an alarm. A beam of light hit him, and he felt like he was floating. He then found himself back at his post. He also believed he had psychic powers for a while after this.

• 5 August 1944: Churchill's Secret UFO Report

* Records released in 2010 showed that British Prime Minister Winston Churchill supposedly banned reports of a UFO incident for 50 years. He feared it would cause widespread panic during World War II. The story claimed an RAF plane returning from a mission was met by a strange metallic object. It matched the plane's speed before speeding away. The crew reportedly photographed the object, which "hovered noiselessly." A man wrote to the government in 1999, saying his grandfather, an RAF member, heard Churchill and U.S. General Dwight Eisenhower discuss how to handle the sighting.

The 1950s: Flying Saucer Era

• 1 June 1950: Britain's First Flying Saucer

* A Gloster Meteor plane at RAF Tangmere saw a "shining, revolving, and disc-like" flying saucer at 20,000 feet. Radar at RAF Wartling also tracked it. This led to the creation of the "Flying Saucer Working Party" to investigate such sightings.

• 14 August 1950: RAE Disc Sightings

* An experienced pilot, F/Lt Hubbard, saw a 50-foot-diameter disc UFO over the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE). He claimed to see another similar object a few weeks later.

• 26 August 1950: Stanton Drew Encounter

* A 20-year-old woman walking home in Stanton Drew, Somerset, heard a buzzing sound. She saw a bright, saucer-shaped object hovering nearby. When a door on the craft opened, she screamed and ran home.

• September 1952: Operation Mainbrace Sightings

* During a military exercise, a silver disc-shaped object followed a Gloster Meteor plane returning to RAF Topcliffe. Observers on the ground saw it rotate while hovering before speeding away. Days later, six RAF planes followed a spherical object over the North Sea. These events made front-page news.

• 21 October 1952: Little Rissington Incident

* Two RAF pilots in a Gloster Meteor saw three disc-shaped objects at 35,000 feet.

• 9 October 1953: Channel Crossing UFO

* Two British European Airways pilots flying from London to Paris saw a saucer-shaped object over the English Channel for 30 minutes.

• 29 June 1954: Atlantic Ocean UFOs

* A BOAC pilot flying from New York to London saw seven UFOs over the North Atlantic. Captain James Howard, a former RAF Squadron Leader, described seeing them for 18 minutes at 19,000 feet.

• 14 October 1954: Near Miss Over Southend

* F/Lt James Salandin of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, flying a Gloster Meteor, narrowly missed two UFOs over Southend-on-Sea. One was silver, the other gold, and both were circular.

• 17 July 1955: Bexleyheath Landing

* In Bexleyheath, London, a 30-foot-wide saucer-shaped object hovered a few feet above a street in daylight. Margaret Fry and her doctor, along with about 30 other people, saw it. Car engines nearby stalled. It made a humming noise, landed briefly, hovered over a school, and then shot into the sky.

• 13 August 1956: Lakenheath-Bentwaters Incident

* USAF radar picked up 12 to 15 objects over East Anglia. One object was tracked at over 4,000 mph. The objects sometimes flew in formation, then merged, and made sharp turns. RAF planes also had sightings.

• 4 April 1957: West Freugh Incident

* A large object was seen on radar at RAF West Freugh, near Stranraer, at 50,000 feet. It stayed still for 10 minutes over the Irish Sea, then moved vertically to 70,000 feet. It made an "impossible" sharp turn and was described as being as large as a ship.

• 20 May 1957: Milton Torres Encounter

* A USAF F-86D Sabre jet from RAF Manston intercepted an object over East Anglia.

• 21 November 1957: Silpho Moor UFO

* An 18-inch saucer-shaped container was found in Silpho Moor. It held copper pages with messages in strange symbols. The remains were found in a science museum 60 years later.

The 1960s: More Mysterious Shapes

• 1965: Warminster Sightings

* From late spring to early summer, many UFOs were seen in the Warminster area. Cley Hill, near the town, has since become a popular spot for sightings.

• 28 April 1967: Brixham Dome

* For about an hour, a dome-shaped object was seen at 1,600 feet over Brixham, Devon. It had a door on its side and was spotted by the HM Coastguard station. There were 362 UFO sightings in 1967, a big jump from 95 in 1966.

• 1967: Clapham Wood Mystery

* Clapham Wood in West Sussex experienced many UFO sightings and strange events throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

• 24 October 1967: Devon Flying Cross

* Police officers Roger Willey and Clifford Waycott saw a bright, cross-shaped object at tree-top height. They followed the "pulsating" object for about 15 minutes at speeds up to 80 mph. A motorist also saw it. The object disappeared after being chased for 14 miles. It was later thought to be the planet Venus.

• 25 October 1967: Sussex Flying Cross

* Policemen in five police cars across East Sussex reported a bright flying cross in the early hours. Similar sightings were also reported in Wales.

• 26 October 1967: Dorset Coast Craft

* Mr. Angus Brooks, a former BOAC administrator, saw a circular, see-through craft with "girders" near the Dorset coast. The "girders" rearranged to form a cross shape around the 25-foot-diameter disc, then spun. After 22 minutes, they returned to their original position, and the craft sped off.

The 1970s: Close Encounters and Crashes

• 8 September 1970: Captain Schaffner's Interception

* Captain William Schaffner intercepted an unknown object over the North Sea. His BAC Lightning aircraft was later found in the sea.

• 1971: Muchalls Silent Craft

* It is claimed that silent, unidentified craft were regularly seen by two schoolchildren near Muchalls, Scotland, from 1971 onwards. These events supposedly happened night after night for many years, continuing until at least 1991, when some were filmed.

• 16 October 1973: Langford Budville Abduction Claim

* Gabriella Versacci claimed she was taken aboard an alien spaceship near a small village in Somerset, England. She said she was physically examined after being strapped to a table.

• 23 January 1974: Berwyn Mountains Incident

* A UFO supposedly crashed on the Berwyn Mountains in Wales. This event happened at the same time as an earthquake.

• June 1976: Concorde Film Anomaly

* An official British Airways film taken during a Concorde flight showed a white light moving around the aircraft. Later analysis suggested it was a camera effect.

• 4 February 1977: Broad Haven School Sighting

* A cigar-shaped craft reportedly landed next to Broad Haven Primary School. 14 schoolchildren witnessed it and saw a silver creature. The headteacher interviewed 15 children, who all drew similar pictures.

• 16 February 1977: Rhosybol School Sighting

* In Rhosybol, North Wales, nine children at a primary school saw a mysterious object and also made similar drawings.

• August 1977: Barnston Humanoid

* A silver humanoid figure next to a spacecraft was seen in the middle of a road junction near Barnston, Merseyside.

• 22 November 1978: Elsie Oakensen's Missing Time

* Elsie Oakensen was driving home in Northamptonshire when she saw two bright lights, one green and one red, forming a dumbbell-shaped object. Her car stalled twice. She then saw a brilliant white beam of light on the road. After this, Elsie could not remember 15 minutes of her time.

• 9 November 1979: Bob Taylor Incident

* Bob Taylor, a forestry worker, claimed to have encountered a UFO in a clearing on Dechmont Law in Livingston, Scotland. He said the UFO dragged him along the ground. This is considered one of Scotland's most important close encounters.

The 1980s: Famous UK Cases

• 29 November 1980: Alan Godfrey's Abduction Claim

* Police officer Alan Godfrey claimed he was taken by an alien spacecraft in Todmorden, West Yorkshire. Other local police officers also saw a strange glowing object at the same time.

• December 1980: Rendlesham Forest Incident

* A series of unexplained lights and objects, and an alleged landing of an alien spacecraft, happened at Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk, on December 26. This is perhaps the most famous UFO event in Britain and one of the best-known worldwide.

• 12 August 1983: Aldershot Fishing Encounter

* Alfred Burtoo, 77, was fishing when a UFO landed nearby in Aldershot. He said two human-like beings invited him onto their disc-shaped vehicle. He was medically examined by English-speaking creatures but was "rejected" because he was "too old."

• 26 April 1984: Stanmore UFO

* Several people, including two police officers, reported seeing a UFO over Stanmore in north-west London.

• 13 October 1984: Waterloo Bridge Flying Saucer

* Several people saw a flying saucer over Waterloo Bridge in London.

• 19 November 1987: Brierley Hill Hovering UFO

* A large UFO was seen hovering close to houses in Brierley Hill.

• 1 December 1987: Ilkley Moor UFO Incident

* Philip Spencer, a retired policeman, took a picture on Ilkley Moor. It is claimed to show an alien creature, and he then saw a white craft leaving the area. Kodak Laboratories examined the photo and said the object was not faked. This was one of the few British "close encounters of the third kind." Under hypnosis, he claimed to have been taken and medically examined.

The 1990s: Triangles and Discs

• 4 August 1990: Calvine Diamond Object

* A diamond-shaped object, estimated to be 100 feet wide, was seen and photographed by two men near Calvine, Scotland. It reportedly hovered silently for 10 minutes before quickly rising into the sky.

• 21 April 1991: Alitalia Pilot Sighting

* Airline pilot Achille Zaghetti saw a three-meter-long, khaki-colored object over Lydd in Kent at 22,000 feet. It was also seen on radar.

• 1992: Bonnybridge, Scotland's UFO Capital

* James Walker noticed strange lights over Bonnybridge, which then became known for many UFO sightings. It is part of the "Falkirk Triangle," an area stretching from Stirling to Edinburgh. UFO researchers claim Bonnybridge is the world's top UFO spot, with about 300 sightings a year.

• March 1992: Bonnybridge Landing

* Isabella Sloggett and her daughter Carol saw a blue light hovering over a road near Bonnybridge. A UFO reportedly landed, and a door on the craft opened.

• 31 March 1993: Triangular UFO Over England

* Many people across south-west and west England saw a large, triangular-shaped UFO speeding across the sky with a glowing trail. Analysis later concluded it was a Russian rocket re-entering Earth's atmosphere, combined with a later sighting of a police helicopter.

• 26 September 1993: Bakewell Black Triangle

* A large black triangle was seen over Bakewell in the Derbyshire Dales.

• 19 February 1994: Craigluscar Reservoir Disc

* A metallic, disc-shaped object was filmed over Craigluscar Reservoir near Dunfermline in Scotland.

• 6 January 1995: British Airways Flight BA5061

* Pilots on a British Airways flight saw an object during their descent to Manchester Airport. The reports were later thought to be a bright fireball.

• 5 October 1996: The Wash Incident

* A rotating UFO was seen over The Wash by police officers. It was later partly explained as a radar echo of St Botolph's Church and visual sightings as celestial objects.

• 24 March 1997: Dark Peak Sonic Booms

* Two sonic booms were heard over the Dark Peak area, but the RAF denied having supersonic aircraft there. A night-long search for a crashed aircraft found no wreckage. A triangle-shaped UFO had been seen an hour before the booms.

• 5 October 2000: Bonsall Pink Object

* Sharon Rowlands from Bonsall, Derbyshire, claimed to have seen a large, glowing pink object hovering and rotating over a nearby field. She filmed it on a camcorder.

UFO Sightings in the 21st Century

• 26 May 2004: Torquay Cigar Shape

* A 60-meter-long cigar-shaped object was seen over Torquay. Local teenagers later admitted it was their toy inflatable airship.

• June 2005: Glasgow and Wiltshire Objects

* Three white objects were seen flying above Glasgow. A man reported hearing "spaceman-like" voices through his electronic equipment. Russian Antonov An-30 planes were suggested as an explanation. A similar sighting of three "white metallic craft" was reported in Lockeridge, Wiltshire.

• June 2006: Cookley Triangle

* A silent, shiny, silver, triangular object was seen hovering over Lea Lane in Cookley, Worcestershire. It was about 5–10 meters above the ground and moved silently across the horizon.

• November 2007: Dudley Dorito

* Many people in the West Midlands reported seeing a silent, triangular object in the evening sky. The press later called it the "Dudley Dorito."

• 12 January 2008: Liverpool Red Spheres

* A large group of UFOs or "glowing Red Spheres" were seen over Liverpool, heading east.

• 8 June 2008: Wales Police Helicopter Chase

* A police helicopter followed a UFO over Cardiff, near MOD St Athan, the Bristol Channel, and nearby areas in Wales.

• 26 June 2009: Kim Wilde's Sighting

* British singer Kim Wilde reported seeing a "huge bright light behind a cloud" above her Hertfordshire garden. She described it as "brighter than the moon" and moving "very quickly, back and forth, for several minutes." It was completely silent. Another local resident also reported and photographed this sighting.

• 10 September 2009: Lennoxtown Beam

* In Glen Road, near Lennoxtown, three people in a car were reportedly hit by a colorful beam of light. The event lasted over two minutes.

• 13 July 2013: Airbus A320 Near Miss

* An Airbus A320 pilot encountered an object closing in on his passenger plane. It passed extremely close to the cockpit while flying at 34,000 feet above Berkshire. The Captain instinctively ducked, believing a collision was about to happen.

See also

• British UFO Research Association
• List of investigations of UFOs by governments
• List of reported UFO sightings
• UFO sightings in Australia

Images for kids

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  National Archives sketch of a UFO seen near Birmingham on 18 January 1975, later identified as satellites Zond 4 and Kosmos 460

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  Worldwide sightings of unidentified craft, including some from the UK (from the UK National Archives)

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  National Archives sketch in 1988 of a UFO over a field

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  Rendlesham Forest site of UFO landing

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  National Archives sketch of an alien planet landscape in January 2004

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  National Archives sketch of a UFO seen over Woolwich in September 2003

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  Still from video footage on 27 December 2000 sent to the UK National Archives