ON DUTY SIGHTINGS 1980-1989
1980
85. December. 1645 hours. Location – Hexham, Northumberland. Following several reports by members of the public who described as many as 12-13 lights in the sky above Hexham, PC KEITH BOTTOMLEY also observed the UFOs. He witnessed approximately 8-10 lights moving high across the sky. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 1 Officer. Source: Newcastle Evening Chronicle 31/12/80.
86. November. 0245 hours. Location – Taunton, Somerset. A police inspector observed a strange light in the sky over the Henlade area of Taunton. He described the object as a series of blue and white lights. Later Bridgewater police observed an object moving south to north in the direction of the Bristol Channel. Checks with the coastguard were negative. Later ATC West Drayton confirmed that an object had been detected briefly on radar at the approximate time of the sightings. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL/RC (NOCTURNAL LIGHT/RADAR CONFIRMATION). On Duty sighting. 3 Officers. Source: Sunday Independent 25/11/80.
87. December. 0200 hours. Monday. Location – Ilkeston, Derbyshire. Two on duty uniformed officers, a male and female, observed a strange light travelling east to west above Boyah Farm, Dale Abbey, Ilkeston. The light was at a low altitude against a clear sky. They described it as a bright green oval shaped object with a white tail. The officers saw it for about five seconds before the UFO disappeared from view. The officers reported the sighting to Ilkeston police station who informed Derbyshire police HQ at Ripley. Enquiries with Manchester Airport proved negative. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source: Derby Evening Telegraph 02/01/80.
88. Christmas 1980. Location - Skirlaugh, Hull, Lincolnshire. Following reports by several CB radio enthusiasts’ two police officers, one male, one female, attended a local quarry where they observed a UFO descend into it. The female officer was very traumatised by the incident. Interestingly it is believed that a senior Humberside Police officer had meetings with his Suffolk counterparts within days of the Rendlesham Forest sightings over the same period of Christmas 1980. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source: PRUFOS Database/Confidential.
89. 30/08/80. 0135 hours. Location - Dumfries, Scotland. A PC SMITH and five other uniformed officers plus several members of the public observed a cigar shaped UFO with a series of lights over Dumfries, Scotland. The case was reported to the MOD.
UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 6 Officers. Source: PRUFOS Database/MoD.
91. Mid December 1980. Location. A total of five uniformed on duty police officers observed a UFO over Yorkshire that was recorded on three separate radar stations. Four of the officers followed the object in two marked police vehicles for several miles as it flew over the landscape before disappearing from view. On Duty sighting. 5 Officers. Source: Yorkshire Post 19/12/80.
92. Late evening. 15/09/80. Location Wetherby to York. Two uniformed officers first observed the object in the vicinity of Wetherby traveling at an altitude of 2000 feet. No noise was heard. The officers followed the object in their police vehicle. Over Wetherby the UFO was seen to change direction heading towards York. Alerted by the West Yorkshire Police two officers of the North Yorkshire Police, PC ROY ALLEN and PC RICHARD GORDON, waited to pick up the UFO. PC Allen later said, We were waiting on the York bypass when suddenly we saw it. The light stopped moving and hovered in the sky for some time. Eventually it moved off in the direction of Hull. Police made checks at a number of RAF bases but could not find a satisfactory answer. A senior officer at York said, There is nothing more we can do. It has been logged as a UFO. On duty sighting. 5 Officers. Source FSR Vol 26 No 4. Nov 1980.
Possible explanation - The above case is one of the first investigations carried by Graham Birdsall and Mark Birdsall. They interviewed many of the people involved. A scientist later stated that the object seen was the planet Venus. In addition a number of photographs were taken by a Scene of Crime Officer that appeared to support the Venus theory. However I have examined the statements of several of the officers concerned and they are very specific about there being a definite change of direction over Wetherby. In addition the altitude quoted by some of the officers is only 2000 feet and the object was followed in a police vehicle for several miles. Given these specific descriptions I believe this one is still up for debate.
93. 0400 hours. 29/11/80. Location Moors near Todmorden, West Yorkshire. Four West Yorkshire uniformed police officers, PC JOHN PORTER, PC HOWARD TURNPENNY, PC JULIE BAXTER and a fourth officer were high on the moors looking for stolen motor cycles when they observed a blue coloured UFO making a series of angular turns low across the valley. The object jerked from one side of the valley to the other and was last seen heading in the direction of Todmorden. This was officially reported by telex to West Yorkshire HQ in Wakefield. This sighting links to the Alan Godfrey case. On Duty sighting. 4fficers. Source PRUFOS Police Database.
94. 4 July 1980. Location: Littleborough, West Yorkshire. Two uniformed police officers, PC STEPHEN HOWARTH and PC CHRIS FERNHEAD had left Littleborough police station in a vehicle bound for Todmorden just four miles away. Prior to leaving the police station the building had been experiencing a series of fluctuations in the electrical power supply. Enquiries with the Electricity Board had revealed no known faults to the power supply. Later as they drove along Nayland Moor between Littleborough and Todmorden the officers saw a hat shaped UFO beside two electricity pylons. The object appeared to be rotating and changing colour from yellow to bluish white and then back again to yellow. The object slowly began to rise into the sky. At the same time the officers began to hear radio transmissions from the South Wales police approximately 200 miles away when normally the radio would only be 20-30 miles! The officers then observed a second object to the North that was identical to the first. Both objects began to rise into the sky and at 0430 hours they were out of sight as they moved off at speed to Denshaw. On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source Yorkshire Evening Post 11/07/80.
95. June 1980. 2245 hours. Location: Pontefract, West Yorkshire. Following a report by a member of the public a uniform police officer attended a Pontefract home where he viewed a UFO through the witnesses binoculars. Eventually up to eight police officers (including some in plain clothes) arrived at the home to see the object that was described as a spherical bright light surrounded by a red glow with blue and green lights. Checks with radar proved negative. On Duty sighting. 6 Officers. Source Daily Mirror.
96. 0500-0550 hours. 29/11/80. Location - Todmorden, West Yorkshire. An on duty uniformed police officer, PC ALAN GODFREY was making one last sweep of an housing estate looking for a number of cows that had been seen roaming loose in the area before going off his night shift. As he was about to turn right off Burnley Road, Todmorden he looked up the road to see what he initially thought was a bus slew across the road. However almost immediately he realised it wasnt a bus and decided to investigate what it was. Instead of turning right he went straight on toward the object. When he approached he saw that it was a diamond shaped UFO hovering in a stationary position five feet above the road. He was within 20-50 feet of the craft. He described the object as being 20 feet wide and 14 feet high with windows on the top part whilst the bottom part rotated anticlockwise. Shocked and frightened he attempted to contact his local police control via the vehicles radio set but it would not function nor would his personal radio. Whilst sat in the car he decided to sketch the object in front of him. Moments later a bizarre thing happened and he suddenly found himself driving down the same road approximately 50-100 yards further on with the object having disappeared. Puzzled and shaken by the experience he drove back towards Todmorden Police station where he saw a colleague on foot patrol. He picked him up and drove him back to the scene of his encounter. There they found a circular patch in the road where the road was drier (there had been some overnight rain) than the surrounding area. PC GODFREY stated that the rotation of the craft had caused nearby trees and bushes to shake. Leaves and branches had formed a circular pattern where PC GODFREY claimed the UFO had been. Only hours later did it emerge that he had suffered a period of missing time of approximately 15-20 minutes which he couldnt account for at the end of his shift. Interestingly one of his boots had sustained a split under his foot that hadnt been there earlier in the shift. Where it had been he found a red mark on his foot that developed into an irritating rash. This later required minor medical treatment and persisted for several days after the incident. Unable to satisfactorily account for the period of missing time he was eventually persuaded to undergo hypnotic regression in an effort to solve the mystery. What emerged over a series of four such sessions was that of an alien abduction scenario which is widely regarded as one of Britains finest cases. Under hypnosis he recalled that he had got out of the police vehicle to get a better look at the object, however an intense white light had enveloped him which frightened him he sought the sanctuary of the police car. He then found in a room lying on a table with a number of small bulb head figures holding him down. A taller humanoid figure came and telepathically communicated with him. Moments later he found himself back in the police vehicle driving along the road, which is where his conscious memories begin. To this day he does not have any conscious memories of the abduction scenario and finds it difficult to comprehend himself. Although the story sounds bizarre, part corroboration for the sighting came in the guise of three other Halifax based officers who were out on the moors only an hour or so prior to PC GODFREYs encounter. This case links to the above named case. In addition a member of the public saw a similar coloured object in the town itself minutes prior to the GODFREY sighting.
On Duty sighting. 1 Officer. Source - Alan Godfrey, during a number of personal interviews with him during 2002.
97. 0510-0550 hours. 29/11/80. Location Littleborough, near Todmorden, West Yorkshire. Two on duty uniformed traffic officers were parked up in a pub car park when they observed a very bright UFO low on the horizon. The object was last seen heading in the direction of Todmorden. This case links to the Alan Godfrey case. The officers contacted Alan Godfrey approximately one year after his sighting. They would not come forward publicly fearing ridicule. On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source Alan Godfrey/PRUFOS.
98. Late evening. Location Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire. Whilst on night duty two uniformed officers observed a UFO. The officers gave chase in their police vehicle. The chase took place between the villages of Luddenden and Sowerby Bridge.
On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source PRUFOS/CONFIDENTIAL.
1981
99. September. Location - Todmorden, West Yorkshire. Over several nights over 20 members of the public saw a cigar shaped UFO over the town of Todmorden in West Yorkshire. On one of those nights to uniformed police officers also saw the object.
UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source: Daily Star 30/03/82.
100. 30/11/81. Location – Pontefract, West Yorkshire. Five on duty uniformed officers observed a spherical multicoloured UFO with a silvery crescent. Several officers observed the object through binoculars as it moved initially west to east before changing to a south to east direction. The object was also seen by several members of the public. The police officers made enquiries with Bawtry Meteorological Office and drew a blank as did their enquiries with Manchester ATC. One officer still had the UFO in view at 0500 hours before it faded from view. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT)
On Duty sighting. 5 Officers. Source: PRUFOS Database/Confidential.
1982
101. March 1982. 2330 hours. Location – Newcastle, Tyneside. Following several reports by members of the public two uniformed officers, PC DAVE PARKING and PC BOB TAYLOR observed a UFO hovering west of Newcastle. In total the object was seen for an hour. Checks were made with Newcastle Airport revealed no reports of unknown traffic.
UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source: Newcastle Evening Chronicle 09/03/82.
103. Sunday 25/09/82. 0400 hours. Location Monmouth, Gwent in Wales. Two on duty uniformed officers, PC TIM BANKS and PC SIMON HOLDER, observed a UFO over Monmouth in Wales during the early hours of a late September morning. At one point the officers witness two red lights appear to fall from the main object.
On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source: Daily Express 25/09/82.
104. 0435 hours. 25/03/82. Location - Saxon Street, Milton Keynes. Two uniformed officers, PS IAN VICTORY and PC ANTHONY UNDERWOOD were driving a marked police vehicle when they observed a yellow lozenge shaped UFO in the sky. Stopping the vehicle they sat and watched it pass overhead. They saw red and blue flashing lights on the craft. The incident was believed to be subject of an investigation by the Ministry of Defence who admitted they had received a report about the officers sighting. The Superintendent for Milton Keynes police, JOHN BURTON, said of the officers, These are two experienced officers and I have no reason to doubt their integrity. On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source - A Covert Agenda by Nick Redfern. Pocket Books 1998. Pages 159-160.
105. 0130 hours. Location Todmorden, West Yorkshire. Three on duty uniformed officers, that included a police sergeant and two vehicles observed a bright light moving high above Todmorden for 30 minutes before it disappeared at speed from view. There was no noise associated with the object. None of the officers reported the sighting fearing ridicule.
On Duty sighting. 3 Officers. Source PRUFOS/CONFIDENTIAL.
106. March 1982. Location: Newcastle. Two on duty Northumbria uniform police officers observed a UFO as it passed over the Tyne Valley, West of Newcastle. It was last seen losing altitude in the direction of the Roman Wall. On Duty sightings. 2 Officers. Source Newcastle Evening Chronicle 30/06/94.
107. 24/10/82. Location: Elsack and Carleton Moors, North Yorkshire. During the early hours of the morning three uniformed police officers observed a small UFO zig-zagging just several feet above the ground as it passed over Carleton Moor. At 0515 hours a further series of lights were seen to pass directly over their police car.
On Duty sightings. 3 Officers. Source Yorkshire Post.
109. Early 1980’s. London. This case involved the METPOL helicopter that was based at that time at the London heliport in Battersea. The crew comprised of a civilian pilot and a uniformed police officer acting as a spotter. On this day the helicopter took off and was flying along an air corridor known as H2 and 10. When it was north of Kew Bridge the pilot suddenly reported an airmiss with what he initially thought had been a model aircraft. The on board radar detected that the object was in fact circling the helicopter at close proximity to it! The pilot came back on the air and said that it was not a model aircraft but a UFO. Everyone in the ATC began to listen intently to what the pilot was describing. He went onto to describe the object as a grey metallic disc approximately 3-4 feet in diameter. He then asked could he follow the object which as began to descend toward the ground over a railway goods yard. He was given permission to do so. He then reported that the object was performed incredible feats of manoeuvrability as it darted around the goods yard. It was able to hover, rise vertically and make right angled turns! At one point the object hovered above a man walking his dog who was oblivious to the fact that it was over him inferring that the object was silent as well. Eventually the object suddenly rose vertically into the air at a very fast rate to an altitude of 3500 feet where it disappeared into cloud. UFO CLASSIFICATION – CE1 (CLOSE ENCOUNTER 1ST KIND)
On Duty sighting. 1 Officer. Source: PRUFOS Police Database.
110. 19/02/83. Daytime. Location – Swansea, Glamorgan, South Wales. Up to 200 people observed a huge triangular shaped UFO pass overhead in various places along the South Wales coast. They included a class of schoolchildren and a football team. In Swansea two detectives, DS MIKE TROAKE and DC GETHIN HUMPHREYS saw the object glide overhead in total silence. DS TROAKE said, “I’m used to seeing aircraft in the sky but this was massive-much bigger than a plane. There was a large main cluster of lights at the front shaped a bit like a Zeppelin followed by a triangular group of lights. They moved gracefully across the sky about 1000 feet up.” Fearful of ridicule neither officer reported the incident to their colleagues. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT)
On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source: Sunday Mirror 20/02/83.
111. July 1983. Location - Toft, Cambridgeshire. An on duty uniformed police sergeant observed a huge 50p shaped UFO above the village of Toft. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On duty sighting. 1 officer. Source: Cambridge Evening News 17/07/93.
112. Location - Ferrybridge Power station, West Yorkshire. Two traffic officers observed a UFO for several minutes hovering over Ferrybridge power station. The case was reported to the MOD. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On duty sighting. 2 officers. Source: Newspaper Archive.
113. May 1983 Location Hartcliffe area of Bristol. Two female police officers observed a strange light hovering above a hill top in the Hartcliffe area of Bristol. They followed the UFO in their marked police vehicle for a distance of two miles before the object stopped and hovered again. At this point a second UFO approached the first one from a different direction. Moments later both objects rose vertically into the night sky at a very high speed and out of sight. One of the officers said, It was very creepy. At the same time another officer, SERGEANT IAN LOCK saw a flashing UFO above the Bedminster area of Bristol. In a strange twist to the account the police vehicle involved in the pursuit of the UFO developed a fault with its battery the next day rendering it inoperable. Checks were made with the MoD and local airports put all efforts to identify the object proved negative.
On Duty sighting. 3 Officers. Source: Daily Star 17/05/83.
114. 0400 hours. Mid summer 1983. Location Blackpool, Lancashire. Whilst on uniformed mobile patrol with a colleague along the promenade area at Blackpool PC GEORGE SHONE suddenly observed a large splash approximately 100 yards off the North Pier. A long dark object either entered or emerged into or out from the water at high speed. The officer turned to his colleague but unfortunately he did not witness the UFO. The officer likened the object as being similar to that of a Polaris missile being fired at sea from a submarine but this was much too close to the shore for that and there was little or no noise. On Duty sighting. 1 Officer. Source: The PRUFOS Police Database.
115. Early hours March 1983. Location Ferrybridge, West Yorkshire. Two uniformed traffic officers observed a brightly lit UFO in the vicinity of Ferrybridge Power Station. They observed the object for several minutes as it moved near to the power station and were unable to identify the object. The officers reported the sighting to the Ministry of Defence. On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source Yorkshire Evening Post.
116. 14/03/83. 0315 hours. Location: Carleton Moor, North Yorkshire. PS TONY DODD observed two UFOs passing over the moor. On Duty sighting. 1 Officer. Source Yorkshire Post.
117. 29/10/83. 0430 hours. Location: A59 Summerscale. Two uniformed police officers observed a large glowing UFO that was hovering over the A59 at Summerscale.
On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source Yorkshire Post.
1984
118. April. Location - Stanmore, Middlesex, near RAF Bentley Prior. PC RICHARD MILTHORP was one of at least sixteen uniformed officers who observed a dome shaped circular UFO that appeared to fire balls of light to the ground for two hours. He submitted a report with one other officer that was sent to the Ministry of Defence and the Civil Aviation Authority. The Superintendent for Harrow Police station at the time said that the report by MILTHORP and PC PAUL ISLES was made by two normal sensible men.
On Duty sighting. 20 Officers. Source - Page 251, The UFO Encyclopaedia by John Spencer, Headline Book Publishing 1991.
119. Early hours. Winter 1984. Location Bristol. An on duty uniformed police officer observed a slow moving UFO above Bristol during the early hours of a night shift. The officer made checks with a number of airports but all proved negative. On Duty sighting. 1 Officer. Source: The PRUFOS Police Database.
120. 29/02/84. Location: Bordley Moor, North Yorkshire. Two uniformed police officers observed a large glowing white light passing over the moor. On duty sightings. 2 Officers. Source Yorkshire Post.
121. Autumn 1984. 2345 hours. Location: Rowley Regis, Black Country. Following a report by a member of the public two uniformed police officers arrived on Portway Road and confirmed that a blue light was hovering above the ground on Turners Hill. The object then moved toward the police vehicle which passed over the car before it suddenly moved vertically up into the sky and disappeared. On duty sightings. 2 Officers. Source PRUFOS Police Database/KR.
1985
122. 0400 hours. 1985. Location M55 Marton Circle. PC DICKIE MOSS saw a large UFO as it hovered over the M55 motorway near Marton Circle. The object was very large covering the entire width of both sides of the motorway (six lanes). The UFO was described by the officer as saucer shaped, black in colour with a series of lights around its rim and a brilliant white light emitting a beam down to the ground like a searchlight. Reporting the incident by radio PC MOSS requested other officers to attend his location. Two other uniformed officers soon arrived in a vehicle and both saw the UFO for themselves. A short time later the UFO suddenly shot into the sky in the blink of an eye and disappeared from view. On Duty sighting. 3 Officers. Source: The PRUFOS Police Database.
123. Late July 1985. 0145 hours. Location Chesterfield, Derbyshire. PC MARK TURNER observed a flashing blue/red UFO for over 35 minutes before it moved off in the direction of Dronfield. The weather was clear with no cloud in the sky. A number of civilian witnesses also witnessed the object. On Duty sighting. 1 Officer. Source: Sheffield Telegraph Monday 29/07/85.
124. Late evening 25/10/85. Location Sunningdale, Windsor. Two uniformed officers, PC LAURENCE MILLIGAN and PC MATTHEW SCOTT, observed a red and green flashing UFO for 45 minutes having responded to a sighting of the object by a member of the public. Attending his home they observed the object through a telescope. Eventually the UFO disappeared in a north-westerly direction. It had been seen over the Virginia Water and Harpsford Avenue areas of the town. Checks were made with RAF Waddington but proved negative. On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source: Windsor Slough and Eton Express.
1986
125. 23/12/1986. Location Armadale, Edinburgh. Two on duty uniformed officer, SERGEANT JIM BEGG and PC TOM MURPHY observed a bright orange UFO over Armadale, Edinburgh. On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source: West Lothian Courier, Bathgate. 17/01/88.
1987
0300 hours. 21/06/1987. Stonehenge, Wiltshire. 12 uniformed officers including PC PHIL HUTCHINGS were guarding the monument for the Summer Solstice observed a bright white UFO that crossed the sky making a large number of right angled turns. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 12 officers. Source: The PRUFOS Police Database.
0310 hours. 23/10/1987. Ford End near Chelmsford. Two uniformed officers observed 2 bright lights in the clear night sky. There was no sound and they made erratic vertical and horizontal movements. There was no discernable shape or structure seen as they moved in a south-westerly direction. The officers observed the UFOs for approximately five minutes. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source: FOI documentation.
126. Sunday. Location - Holmfirth and Emley Moor, West Yorkshire. A huge UFO estimated at some 200 feet in length was seen in the vicinity of the Emley Moor television mast and over Holmfirth by several uniformed police officers who reported seeing it from a variety of locations, Holme Moss, Pole Moor and Kirkburton. A Chief Inspector Brian Smelt confirmed that six officers had reported seeing the UFO. Checks with airports proved negative. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 6 Officers. Source: Huddersfield Examiner 1987.
127. 2240 Hours. September 1987. LocationM6 Motorway between Junction 28 and 27. Two uniformed traffic officers, PC STANLEY OSBOURNE and PC DOUGLAS, were driving along the M6 motorway between Leyland and Shevington at Charnock Richard when a cigar shaped UFO raced passed them on a parallel course. It was in sight for approximately five seconds. The UFO was at an estimated altitude of 30/50 making no sound despite the fact that the officers had the windows down. On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source: PRUFOS Database.
1988
0620 hours. 31/01/1988. Manchester, Greater Manchester. A uniform police officer observed a bright stationary UFO over the beach at Manchester Airport. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 1 Officer. Source: FOI Documentation.
1845 hours. 06/02/1988. Telford. Following a report by a member of the public five uniformed police officers observed a UFO over Telford town centre. The object had green, yellow and blue lights and initially moved fast across the sky before it become stationary over the town centre. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 5 Officers. Source: FOI Documentation.
0003 hours. 19/05/1988. Cramond Island. Pentland Hills, Scotland. An on duty uniformed officer observed one static white light and four occulting yellow lights above the ski slopes above Pentland Hills. This sighting followed observations of three objects by two members of the public. There was good visibility and no low cloud. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 1 Officer. Source: FOI Documentation.
0125 hours. 26/07/1988. Harden Moor near Keighley, West Yorkshire. Two uniformed police officers observed a single bright white light for 3-4 seconds on Harden Moor initially at ground level approximately 400-800 yards from their vehicle. It was seen near some high voltage power lines. The object was seen to drop below the officers vision when it entered a valley. UFO CLASSIFICATION – CE1 (CLOSE ENCOUNTER 1ST KIND).
On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source: FOI Documentation.
2305 hours. 14/08/1988. Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. Four white lights with red at their centre were seen by at least five officers a mile south-east of Mansfield town centre. The weather was clear at the time of the sighting that lasted 15-30 seconds. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 5 Officers. FOI Documentation.
1100 hours. 16/08/1988. Toomebridge, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland. A Constable saw a silver coloured UFO from the police station in Toomebridge. He observed the object for an hour visually and with the aid of binoculars. Several other constables in different areas nearby also observed the UFO. UFO CLASSIFICATION – DD (DAYLIGHT DISC). On Duty sighting. 3 Officers. Source: FOI Documentation.
1800 hours. 17/08/1988. Warrington, Cheshire. Two uniformed officers from the Knutsford Motorway unit observed a round object approximately 15 feet in diameter. On each quarter of the sphere was a protruding leg. The UFO was black in colour with light grey flashes or windows on the top. No noise could be heard above the road traffic. The object passed directly over the police car. It was observed for 10 minutes. UFO CLASSIFICATION – CE1 (CLOSE ENCOUNTER 1ST KIND). On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source: FOI Documentation.
2330 hours. 24/09/1988. Bordaduabh near Campbeltown, Scotland. Several members of the public and a Special Constable observed three to four stationary objects over Kildranna Sound, north of Loch Luca, nine miles north of Campbeltown four 40 minutes. The objects were generally stationary and then would move slowly. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 1 Officer. FOI Documentation.
0345 hours. 27/10/1988. Ramsgate, Kent. At least three police officers observed a single bright light over Ramsgate as it moved west to east. The weather at the time of the sighting was overcast. The officers saw the object from the locations of Ramsgate and Deal. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 3 Officers. FOI Documentation.
2235-2240 hours. 31/10/1988. East Grinstead, Sussex. Four police officers observed two objects that were flying in formation as they travelled east to west over East Grinstead. The UFOs were seen for five minutes. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. FOI Documentation.
0745 hours. 10/12/1988. Hessle near Hull, Humberside. A total of five police officers and several civilians observed a glowing cloud shaped UFO as it crossed the sky above Hessle. The object was first through binoculars and appeared totally silent. UFO CLASSIFICATION – DD (DAYLIGHT DISC). On Duty sighting. On Duty sighting. 5 Officers. Source: FOI Documentation.
0635 hours. 17/12/1988. Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. Initially reported by a member of the public a number of police officers on the early turn observed circular bright light that at times flashed red and blue. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 6 Officers. Source: FOI Documentation.
1135 hours. 20/12/1988. Bishop Auckland. Two uniformed officers in different parts of Bishop Auckland observed a UFO above the town. UFO CLASSIFICATION – DD (DAYLIGHT DISC). On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source: FOI documentation.
2355 hours. 20/12/1988. Charlton Kings, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. A police officer observed a very bright star-like object with a black dot at its front that was seen low on the horizon against a clear sky. The UFO was seen for approximately 20 seconds. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 1 Officer. Source: FOI Documentation.
2350-2358 hours. 20/12/88. Harrogate, Barton and Richmond. Over this short period five uniformed officers in different geographical areas of the North (Harrogate, Barton and Richmond) reported seeing a bright UFO for several seconds at a time. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 7 Officers. Source: FOI documentation.
128. 05/01/88. Location Kensington. A young girl reported seeing a UFO from her home in Kensington and it was reported to the police. Initially one officer attended and corroborated her sighting. So perplexed was the officer that he called for two more uniformed officers to attend the house. They too in turn confirmed the sighting of the object. In the end another five uniformed officers turned up making 8 in total. The sighting lasted 40 minutes. On Duty sighting. 8 Officers. Source: Regional/National papers.
129. 2117 hours. 16/02/88. Location - Rosehill area of Willenhall, Midlands. Two uniformed officers, PS STUART GRIFFITHS and PC MICHAEL POWELL observed a very large UFO in the night sky. PS GRIFFITHS said, There were red and green lights all around its circumference which were either flashing on and off or the whole thing was spinning. He went on to say that he had never seen anything like it before and that there was no noise at all. Further enquiries later revealed that at 2100 hours that same evening two other uniformed officers, INSPECTOR ROGER CLARKE and PS STEVE GODWIN, had seen the same object in the vicinity of Walsall. Willenhall Police confirmed that a report was sent to the Ministry of Defence about the officers sightings.
On Duty sighting. 4 officers. . Source - A Covert Agenda by Nick Redfern. Pocket Books 1998. Page 165.
130. Late evening. Friday. 04/03/88. Location Reigate, London. Following reports by members of the public of a UFO hovering motionless in the sky above Reigate, three uniformed police officers turned up at the home of a Mr Clarke expecting to find nothing of note, but were amazed to see the object themselves. The officers made checks with Heathrow and Gatwick Airports, the latter of which confirmed that they did have an unknown object on their radar. Later it turned out that the police had recorded between 3 and 6 objects on a motorway camera in the nearby Rickmansworth area (Camera 22, M1, J16) but they refused to release the film. Gordon Creighton at Flying Saucer Review did manage to get hold of the tape which clearly showed three spherical white objects caught on camera. On Duty sighting. 5 Officers. Source FSR Vol 42 No 3. August 1997.
131. February 1988. Location Stafford. Two uniformed police officers observed a large bright light as it crossed the skies above Stafford. The UFO was also seen by two other uniformed officers in the area as well as several members of the public. One officer described the object as a giant block of light whizzing through the air. On Duty sighting. 4 Officers. Source: Stafford Newsletter 19/02/88.
132. 01/02/1988. 0625 hours. Location Cheadle, Stockport. Two on duty uniformed officers, PC IAN WALMSLEY and PC CHRIS EVANS observed a glowing spinning UFO as it hovered above the Cheadle area of Stockport. The officers reported the sighting to Manchester Police Headquarters who later tried to write of the sighting as a Tristar aircraft on approach to Manchester Airport. However the officers rejected the explanation saying, Ive seen hundreds of planes and this didnt look like one. Ive never seen anything like it before. On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source: Manchester Metro News 02/02/88.
133. January 1988. Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Two Woodseats based police officers, INSPECTOR DAVID TINGLE and PS CHRIS THOMPSON observed a UFO for thirty seconds as they drove back from the Derbyshire Peak District area towards Sheffield just before midnight. The UFO was also reported by several members of the public. On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source - Sheffield Star 23/01/88.
134. February 1988. Location: Ecclesfield, Sheffield. Following reports by the public two Ecclesfield based uniformed police officers observed a bright red V shaped object passing over the area. PC SUSAN JACKSON saw the object and got out of the police car to have a better look. I had the car engine running but could still hear it whirring above. It had rows and rows of flashing red lights all around it. Alerted to the sightings and several hundred metres away, another uniformed police officer, PC JOHN BOAM saw the same object that he described as hovering for 30 seconds before flying off in the direction of Grenoside. On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source: The Doncaster Star 06/02/88.
135. February 1988. Location: Stafford, Staffordshire. Following a report by a member of the public, two separate uniformed police crews observed two white lights passing over Sydney Avenue, Stafford from different geographical positions in the area. Independently the officer described the UFOs as a giant block of light. The sighting was officially reported to senior officers. On Duty sighting 4 Officers. Source Stafford Newsletter 19/02/88.
136. Late October 1988. Location: West Mercia. Two uniformed police officers reported seeing a brilliant white light passing over the landscape of Worcestershire. It was also reported by several members of the public. West Mercia police contacted the RAF at West Drayton who suggested the object might have been a satellite burning up in the atmosphere. On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source Droitwich Weekly Mail 04/11/88.
137. Midnight, December 1988. Scotch Corner, North Yorkshire. Two traffic officers observed a UFO with flames as it cross the sky near Scotch Corner. A Durham police officer also saw a similar object at around the same time, just after midnight. Then a further police officer and a military police officer observed a UFO near to Richmond Castle. They initially thought the object was an aircraft about to crash but a later search revealed no evidence of such a crash. Checks made with ATC at Leeming proved negative.
UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 4 Officers. Source: Darlington and Stockton Times 23/12/88.
1989
2048-2330 hours. 20/10/1989. Hapton near Accrington. 38 members of the public and 4 uniformed police officers observed a round shaped UFO that had nine lights around its circumference. In the middle of the object was a single orange light. A mist surrounded the object that was seen against a clear sky. It moved slowly and erratically across the sky. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 4 Officers. Source: FOI Documentation.
2230 hours. 30/06/1989. Tottenham Lane, London. Two police officers observed 12 lights directly above Hornsey police station. The lights were described as being quite large but not too bright. They made repeatedly circular patterns in the sky above them for approximately 15 minutes. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. FOI Documentation.
0145 hours. 02/08/1989. Kings Lynn, Norfolk. Two uniformed police officers observed four small white lights as they moved across an almost clear sky above Kings Lynn. The lights were moving in an erratic manner and constantly fading and brightening. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source: FOI Documentation.
1830 hours. 31/10/1989. Ashington, Northumberland. Initially reported by a member of the public a police constable also observed two objects that were approximately 40 feet apart that were bright white in colour. They were seen against a clear sky. UFO CLASSIFICATION – NL (NOCTURNAL LIGHT). On Duty sighting. 1 Officer. Source: FOI Documentation.
138. Near midnight February 1989. Location Swindon. A uniformed police officer was one of several people who witnessed a UFO as it flew over the Pinehurst area of Swindon. The UFO was described as being triangular and larger than an aircraft with numerous glowing lights upon it. The officer saw the object at a distance of a mile and reported the sighting using his personal radio. A short time later the object disappeared with an amazing burst of speed. Other sightings were made a few hours earlier Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. One witness described the UFO as being at rooftop height. A Gloucestershire police officer, Sergeant Parr said, There were three green lights and the beams shone down in the form of a tripod. On Duty sighting. 1 Officer. Source: Weird Wiltshire UFO Archive.
139. 0500 hours. December. Location - Mow Cop, North Staffordshire. During the early hours of a December morning, radar controllers at Manchester Airport picked up a stationary return on their equipment. Puzzled they asked police officers from the nearby Kidsgrove Police station to investigate. A marked police vehicle was dispatched to a local beauty spot called Mow Cop to see if they could see an object that could account for the radar return. When they arrived there they observed a green and white UFO hanging motionless in the sky in the position indicated by the radar return. At the same time their personal radios went dead. A number of checks were made but no aircraft could be found to account for the object. The Air Force was also contacted who stated they were not responsible for the object. At the same time numerous members of the public rang in with similar sightings. A short time after uniformed officers reached Mow Cop, CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT PETER GROCOTT arrived at the scene and later said, We didnt get to the bottom of it. The traffic controllers called us because they thought it could have been the countys helicopter but it wasnt flying that night. The sighting was reported to the Ministry of Defence by the police. Later it emerged that the MOD denied ever receiving it. On Duty sighting. 2 Officers. Source - A Covert Agenda by Nick Redfern. Pocket Books 1998. Pages 167-168.
140. May 1989. Late Evening. Location Heywood, Manchester. Following a report by an ambulance crew reporting the sighting of a UFO and a loss of power to their vehicle, an on duty police officer also observed the flashing multi-coloured UFO. The officer followed the object in his marked police vehicle for almost a mile before the object shot off at speed. On Duty sighting. 1 Officer. Source: Bolton Evening News 20/05/89.
141. February 1989. 2100 hours. Location: A46 Stroud. Following several reports by members of the public, a PS PARR confirmed that he too had witnessed a triangular shaped object as it passed over the A46 at Stroud. The UFO was described as being larger than a helicopter but definitely not an aircraft. On Duty sighting. 1 Officer. Source Swindon Star, Wiltshire 16/02/89.
142. March 1989. 2100 hours. Location: Highfields, Stafford. Following several reports from members of the public (some of whom had viewed the object through binoculars circa 2015 hours) the UFO was observed by two uniformed police officers, PC TERRY GIBBS and PC KEVIN MULLER. Neither officer was able to identify the object which they described as being a brilliant white light that intermittently flashed as it passed over the night sky. On Duty sightings. 2 Officers. Source Stafford Newsletter 31/03/89.