SUBJECT: UFO Spotted over SW England FILE: UFO104
This report originated from the Somerset News Service, around April
21st 1993. It refers to a UFO sighting which occurred in the early
hours of March 30th 1993. It is reproduced as received over the
news wires.
UFO SPOTTED OVER SOUTH WEST ENGLAND
-----------------------------------
Police reports from Devon have helped trigger an
investigation into a huge catamaran-shaped UFO with lights which
appeared over the West Country recently.
Most of nearly 40 sightings reported so far from Gwent to
Somerset and Devon were from police officers who claim to have seen
a similar object in the sky about 1.10am on March 30.
Devon UFO investigator Doug Cooper, 56, of Honiton, a retired
Warrant Officer in the Royal Engineers, who is collecting the
information said yesterday "For the first time in a long career I
have tangible proof that something extraordinary passed accross the
country. "Had the police witness reports of the object being very
close to them I would have dismissed it as being a natural phenomenon
or space debris coming through the atmosphere. "But people over a
large area are saying something similar came in high and fast at the
same time."
Mr Cooper, a shopping centre manager at Taunton, is an
investigator with the British UFO Association and founder of the
Devon UFO research Association. He has been interested in the
subject for 40 years and investigating 'seriously' for four years.
Police officers in Devon have an arrangement to tell him of unusual
sightings and since the UFO appeared he has also received reports
from other nightworkers in the area. "I had a call right from the
beginning and when I contacted the police control at Exeter they
said the reports were coming in fast and furious", said Mr. Cooper
yesterday. "It crossed South Wales, where police officers watched
it cross the Bristol Channel. "A sergeant and constable at Lynton
said it went over their heads at about 1,000ft and described it as
huge because of the distance between its two lights.
"It was then seen by police officers in the Liskeard area,
one of whom said it was stationary for a few seconds before it
traversed across to East Devon and Somerset.
"A man near the Dorset border felt it was going to land
because it disappeared behind a hill.
"It was also seen near Minehead by a man on his way back
from holiday who was driving home from Bristol Airport.
"Finally, several elver fishermen on the River Parrett
described an enormous black object shaped like a catamaran seen
near St. Ives", he said.
Several sightings said the UFO was about 500ft wide and
200ft long, silent, and putting out beams of light. At times it
hovered, then moved very fast and dissappeared through clouds at
10,000ft.
A Devon and Cornwall police spokeswoman said "We had quite
a few calls about the UFO coming into the information room and the
sightings were apparently quite widespread".
One observer, Sgt Dave Ledger, of Exeter police, said "I
was with a couple of colleagues when one of them drew my attention
to the object as it went overhead. "I saw two dots of light with
vapour trails coming from them. I thought it was an aircraft and
waited for the sound of a jet engine but it was quite quiet.
"If I had been alone I would not have reported it. But I
contacted our information room who checked with Exeter Airport and
they said there was nothing in the area. It's a strange one".
Report ends.
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