A UFO was seen firing laser beams into the ground while hovering over a cemetery in Widnes in Cheshire by a young man on his way home after a night out. A police officer sent later to investigate found a railway sleeper was "still smouldering".
The man -- "a sensible sort of lad and genuine", according to police -- was going home at about 2.30am on July 15, 1996, when he noticed he was being followed by a bright yellow light as he crossed a footbridge from Avondale Drive into Upton.
According to a police log released today by the Ministry of Defence, he reported the light was "two houses high" and that it followed him when he tried to walk away from it. He told police it made a high-pitched noise "like cats wailing", before blasting light beams downwards.
| "It turned me into a newt!" |
When he returned home, he told his father what happened and he returned to the spot with him.
The pair found four railway sleepers smouldering and one with a 4in hole burned through it.
The official record shows a police officer was sent to the scene and he reported there was no sign of an accelerant being used. The officer reported to his station: "One of the sleepers is still smouldering. It does look rather odd."
The local chief inspector was informed as well as the Aeronautical Information Service -- which passes information to the air authorities to ensure the skies are safe. |