The West was still in the grip of the Cold War. But rather than scanning the skies for Soviet nuclear missiles, it seems, the British had their eye on a different menace. Secret documents released yesterday show that the 1970s were the heyday of UFO spotting, with hundreds of people peering skywards for evidence of extraterrestrial life, though the below 2004 picture of multi-coloured lights in the sky suggest some alien enthusiasts still believe the truth is out there. In April 1979 the Home Office issued guidance to all police forces, fire services and councils about what to do in the event of a ‘nuclear satellite crash’ – code for UFO wreckage from space that could be radioactive. (Daily Mail)
Thursday, 3 March 2011
Decade of the UFO: Secret files show alien sightings, including an object that buzzed a Lancaster bomber, have tailed off since their heyday in the 19
The West was still in the grip of the Cold War. But rather than scanning the skies for Soviet nuclear missiles, it seems, the British had their eye on a different menace. Secret documents released yesterday show that the 1970s were the heyday of UFO spotting, with hundreds of people peering skywards for evidence of extraterrestrial life, though the below 2004 picture of multi-coloured lights in the sky suggest some alien enthusiasts still believe the truth is out there. In April 1979 the Home Office issued guidance to all police forces, fire services and councils about what to do in the event of a ‘nuclear satellite crash’ – code for UFO wreckage from space that could be radioactive. (Daily Mail)
