UFOs have been spotted across south-east London and north Kent
Tony Histed spotted this strange feature in the sky
Many of us spent time this weekend gazing up at the night sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Perseid meteor shower – only to be disappointed by the clouds marring the view. But the News Shopper area has had its fair share of objects in the sky that are harder to explain than the weekend’s celestial show.
Bright lights in Bexley, light shows in Lewisham, and eerie crafts in Erith – we take a look at some of the area’s most notorious UFO sightings.
2. Engine trouble in Bexleyheath
Margaret Fry and her doctor reported seeing a 30-foot-wide craft hovering over the street in broad daylight on July 17, 1955. Car engines nearby reportedly stalled, and the object was seen by around 30 people as it landed at the junction of Ashbourne Avenue and Whitfield Road, near King Harold’s Way.
3. ‘Intelligent life’ over Lewisham
Andrew Burlington and his father, Les, again spotted an unidentified craft over their home on February 22, 2014. They ruled out the craft being a Chinese lantern because it appeared to change direction several times. Mr Burlington said: "Whatever it was, we all agree on one thing - it was being intelligently controlled."
4. Mystery repeating in Bexleyheath
King Harold’s Way was again the scene of a mysterious sighting on December 30, 2014, when Tony Histed spotted strange lights in the sky and saw two orbs flying up off the ground from the building site he was working at.
5. Latest lights over Lewisham
The most recent sighting over Lewisham was on July 2 this year, according to Facebook group Lewisham UFO Sightings. An object was seen making little or no sound, moving north and with three separate lights on it.
6. Gravesend visitations
A ball of lights was seen hovering over Deering Way for about 30 minutes at 7.50pm February 19, 2009 and reported to the Ministry of Defence, according to files released by the Ministry in 2013. No other sightings were reported in the area that evening, according to the Ministry.
7. Policing the skies
Two on-duty Metropolitan police officers witnessed a yellow UFO over Coldbath Street, Lewisham in May 1978. The craft hovered in the air for around 20 minutes, and was witnessed by several members of the public on the same evening. The officers described the UFO as ‘six times brighter than any star.’
8. Erith enigma
A sighting in Erith in September 1998 reported two objects larger than planes, both with round fronts, lit in red and blue. This sighting is listed in a government database of UFO sightings which was maintained until 2009 when it was discontinued along with the accompanying hotline because it served ‘no defence purpose,’ according to the Ministry of Defence.
9. Shapeshifting in Gravesend
A policeman was called by a mother and son in October 1993 after they described seeing an object in the sky. The UFO, which was reported to the Ministry of Defence in a seven-page report, apparently changed from being bell-shaped into an oval with protruding spikes.
10. Lights over the Dartford Crossing
Amateur photographer Gary Porter spotted these UFOs by the Dartford Crossing in September 2011 and managed to capture them on camera. He was on the industrial estate in Galleon Boulevard with his girlfriend when they noticed small, bright, circular lights in red, green and blue. Mr Porter said: "Mr Porter said: "There wasn't anything unusual to the eye. It was when we took a photo they appeared on the screen. The longer the exposure the brighter these things came out. They look almost as if they are a heat source."
The 25-year-old added: "I have spoken to friends and other photographers and Greenwich Observatory and there's no one who can explain what it is."
Have you seen a UFO recently, or something you can't explain? Contact tom.bull@london.newsquest.co.uk
