Secret UFO files revealed online

Sightings of extra-terrestrial objects in the skies above the UK have been revealed for the first time by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) online.

Declassified documents, which cover the period from 1978 to 1987, are a treasure trove of extra-planetary sightings from across Britain.

The move to put the secret documents into the public domain comes after several requests were made under the Freedom of Information Act and also because of a "proactive move by the MoD for an open and transparent government", a spokesman for the National Archives said.

One document, now available on the National Archives website, reveals how on March 17 1985 an object with a "banana shape" was seen hovering over Wembley Stadium. The report adds that the floodlights at the famous football ground were not on that particular night.

Another document reveals a sighting from a "business man who appeared very rational" who observed a "laser beam moving irrationally along the dual carriageway from Raglan to Abergavenny".

The eight files that have been released are only a fraction of the 200 classified files due for release over the next four years.

Much of the documents contain correspondence between members of the public and the government and the MoD. One elderly man explains how he was dumped from a spaceship because the aliens told him he was "too old and infirm".

For the first month, visitors to the National Archives website will be able to download the declassified documents for free.

UFO enthusiasts can also listen to a podcast by Dr David Clarke, an expert in UFO history, as he explains the significance of the newly released UFO files as well as watch a videocast from Nick Pope, former UFO investigator at the MoD.

http://ufos.nationalarchives.gov.uk/