Lights prompt UFO reports

More than 10 separate UFO sightings across the West Midlands have been reported to military bosses in recent years it has emerged.

Today the Express & Star reveals bizarre details of the reports, such as "a bright round light that moved in steps" in Tipton.

Reports have been lodged with the Ministry of Defence from places across the region including Dudley, Wolverhampton, Lichfield, Barlaston in Staffordshire, Walsall and Oldbury. And they may have prompted military chiefs to check whether they were a threat to the UK's airspace.

One report from Walsall in March 2006 described "a UFO doing funny sharp turns over a field." Another unexplained sighting in Dudley, reported in December 2006, simply described "a white light".

Back in August 2005 someone in Lichfield reported that they had seen "an object that was circular with a dull orange colour/light that was the size of a medium aircraft." And in Wolverhampton an RAF sergeant reported seeing "two triangular shaped objects" in 2003.

Once submitted to military officials the reports are examined, with the assistance of air defence experts as required.

Unless there is evidence of a potential threat to the UK from an external military source, the MOD does not attempt to identify the precise nature of each sighting.

The MOD says many of the sightings could be rooted in down to earth explanations such as aircraft lights or natural phenomena.

A MOD spokesman said:"The Ministry of Defence examines any reports of 'UFO' sightings it receives solely to establish whether what was seen might have some defence significance; namely is there any evidence that the UK's airspace might have been compromised by hostile or unauthorised foreign military activity."

None of the UFO sightings had revealed evidence of a potential threat, she said.