The UK's most famous UFO sightings: Rendlesham Forest and more

A new programme on ITV tonight will explore an alleged UFO sighting over Suffolk in the 1980's. Photo: ITV Mystery Map

The incident hit the headlines when American servicemen stationed at RAF Woodbridge reported mysterious lights above nearby Rendlesham Forest

However, it is far from an isolated case and there have been several other alleged sightings across the UK in the last 40 years. Here are three of the most famous cases:

The Rendlesham Forest incident has been alluded to as "Britain's Roswell". Credit: ITV Mystery Map

Rendlesham Forest, 1980
Widely regarded as the most famous potential UFO sighting in UK history, the incident at Suffolk's Rendlesham Forest has been alluded to as "Britain's Roswell".
It took place over three nights around Christmas in 1980, with American Servicemen at nearby RAF Woodbridge reporting that they had witnessed unusual light emitting from the forest.
Sceptics have often dismissed the case, suggesting that the soldiers instead were actually looking at the beam of Orfordness Lighthouse.
However, the man who led the patrol to investigate the sightings, Colonel Charles Halt, was so convinced that he had seen something extraterrestrial that he issued a affidavit alleging that the incident was covered-up by the US and UK.

Philip Spencer, a retired policeman, famously photographed what he believed was an alien walking across Ilkley Moor, near Leeds. Credit: PA

Ilkley Moor, 1987
Philip Spencer, a retired policeman, famously photographed what he believed was an alien walking across Ilkley Moor, near Leeds.
Spencer spotted the strange creature near some boulders and took its picture. It was described as being around four foot tall with greenish skin.
He also claimed to see a UFO rising up from the moor shortly after capturing the alleged alien on camera, but wasn't quick enough to photograph it.

An alleged UFO was spotted by RAF patrol police at RAF Coxford near Wolverhampton in 1993. Credit: James Humphreys

RAF Cosford, 1993
An alleged UFO was spotted by RAF patrol police at RAF Cosford near Wolverhampton in 1993.
They claimed to witness bright lights in the sky above the airbase.
It followed several other alleged sightings across the West Midlands during the same period, with many people suggesting that they saw a triangular shaped craft moving across the sky at speed.
However, many remain unconvinced about the case, due to the fact that Russia had launched a radio satellite into orbit just a day before the sightings.
You can watch Mystery Map tonight on ITV, with the programme starting at 20:00 pm.

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