Lights seen in sky during eclipse

8:55am Tuesday 13th March 2007

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Mystery surrounds the sighting of a "spooky" UFO over west Oxfordshire.

An object, described as "a slow-moving, orange light" was seen passing over Witney during the lunar eclipse two Saturdays ago.

Among those who saw the object, shortly after 10.30pm, were Derek Hall, of Jacobs Mill, Witney, and his girlfriend Paula Siford.

There were also reports of one or more unidentified objects flying over Oxford. Yet a week on, their identity still remains unknown.

Mr Hall, a 43-year-old sales executive for a security company, said: "It was spooky. We were looking at the eclipse when we saw this bright glow, just to the side of the moon.

"It appeared as a slow-moving, orange light - as if a light aircraft was in flames. It was moving in a northerly direction, then bore round to the east. It disappeared in the direction of Woodstock.

"There was no sound at all. It was very strange."

He said it was not a plane, and could not have been a meteorite, as it changed direction.

He added: "We thought there might have been something in the news since, but there hasn't been. I still don't know what it was, but I'm sure others must have seen it.

"I don't know whether the object we saw was extra-terrestrial, but it was certainly an unidentified flying object."

A Witney householder, who asked not to be named, said: "We saw it up in the sky. It was very unusual."

Another witness was 14-year-old Lewis Ashton, who watched the object from his home in Burford Road, Witney. The Wood Green School pupil said: "It wasn't a plane or a satellite. I don't know what it was, but it seemed quite strange."

Mr Hall contacted the Anomalous Phenomena Research Agency - which investigates UFO sightings in Oxfordshire and the Thames Valley.

Research co-ordinator Brian P James said there had been sightings in Oxford at about the same time.

He said: "We did get a report of a set of four low-flying lights heading east to west over Christ Church Meadow in Oxford. They were so low the witness thought it was an aircraft crashing. These lights split into two pairs, which then went off to the north and south. The witness phoned her daughter in Barton, who then saw another, or similar, four lights coming from the east."

RAF Brize Norton spokesman Katie Zasada said no aircraft had been taking off or landing at the time of the eclipse.

She said: "We had no reports of strange lights in the sky and there are no records of unusual activity."

A spokesman for Oxford Airport, in Kidlington, said no unusual reports had been received.

If you saw the UFO, or photographed it, call our Witney office on 01993 773133 or send an email.