Documents / Document
This press release from The National Archives, dated 21 June 2013, announces the final tranche of Ministry of Defence UFO files: 25 files and 4,400 pages covering the UFO desk's last two years, from late 2007 until it closed in November 2009. The files show that sighting reports trebled to over 600 in 2009. Officials said no report in more than 50 years had revealed an extra-terrestrial presence or a military threat. Chinese lanterns are cited as a likely cause of the surge.
As officials prepared their closure announcement, a campaign calling on government to disclose „the truth‟ about UFOs was initiated. The files include correspondence to senior ministers including the then Prime Minister, Gordon Brown (DEFE 2629/1). Also contained in the files are briefings about possible reasons for the surge of UFO sighting reports. The files suggest that it was believed the increase could be partly a result of the craze for releasing Chinese lanterns at weddings and public holidays. One example of this is a UFO sighting by soldiers in Shropshire which made tabloid headlines in June 2008 (DEFE 24/2625/1). Dr David Clarke continues: “There are many reasons why the number of reports trebled in 2009. Many of the sighting accounts – such as formations of orange lights moving slowly across the sky - describe the appearance of Chinese lanterns even though people did not recognise them at the time. “But that is not the only explanation. Ironically there is evidence that some people were encouraged to report their observations to the MoD and to the Press which could be a direct result of increased public awareness during the period that the first UFO files were being released by The National Archives. I believe this demonstrates that UFOs are very much a social phenomenon.”” The reports include UFOs spotted near UK landmarks; one hovering „opposite the Houses of Parliament‟ (DEFE 24/2623/1) and one near Stonehenge (DEFE 24/2451/1). A trend can be seen in the reports with many sightings witnessed in the summer months typically spotted by people while outside walking dogs, smoking cigarettes, at family barbeques - and even while relaxing in hot tubs (DEFE 24/2623/1 & DEFE 24/2624/1). Other highlights from the files include: A letter from a school child to the MoD asking for the truth about UFOs after she had seen some strange lights (includes a drawing of an alien in a UFO waving). The UFO desk sent a bag of RAF goodies in response (DEFE 24/ 2457/1) A report received via the UFO hotline by someone who had been „living with an alien‟ in Carlisle for sometime (DEFE 24/2625/1) Report by a man from Cardiff who claimed a UFO abducted his dog, car and tent whilst he was camping with friends in 2007 (DEFE 24/2623/1)
Document, cited by the archive. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 4 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.