UK FOI request reveals aliens shun leafy Warwickshire
Aliens shun leafy Warwickshire
Jo Cave/Kevin Unitt
19 June 2008
TOURISTS from across the globe may flock to see the sights of Warwickshire, but it seems our reputation is not exactly out of this world.
Archives of UFO sightings - dubbed the British X-files- released by the Ministry of Defence reveal that the little green men are not interested in the county.
Amid a glut of reports from neighbouring Birmingham, Staffordshire, Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire, just a couple of lonely documents detail suspected alien encounters in Shakespeare's County between 1978 and 2002.
Perhaps the extra-terrestrials are simply not interested in great literature or maybe Warwickshire residents spend a lot of time staring at their feet rather than the skies.
But several times the Observer has been contacted by locals convinced they've made sightings of their own - a common factor in many cases being that the spotters had been drinking.
Inspired by this we put in a freedom of information (FOI) request to Warwickshire County Council, asking for a record of any UFO sightings reported to them.
The swift reply read: "We will treat this as an FOI request if you wish us to.
"However we would ask you to be understanding of the fact that each FOI request made to the council takes a certain resource commitment and we are generally inclined not to deal with requests that tend towards the frivolous."
Just 19 seconds later we received a second email stating: "Having considered your request for information I regret to advise you that the county council does not hold the information you have requested.
"This is because the county council does not record reports of UFO sightings and as far as I am aware, no such sightings have been reported to the council."
The truth may be out there somewhere, but not at Shire Hall.
Undeterred, we asked the Coventry and Warwickshire Astronomy Society to probe the mystery.
Vice chairman Clive Rogers was able to shed some light on the subject - but conspiracy theorists might not like the answer.
He said: "I can't find anyone who will come forward who has seen anything that cannot be explained, be it by manmade or natural forces.
"Most of the time its either a bright planet or a satellite that is going over - if you have not seen the ISS (International Space Station) that could throw you. This is a very bright object that starts in the west and flies east, and sometimes it stops shining just like someone has turned off the lights - this is because the ISS has now gone into the earths shadow.
"There are some satellites called Iridium Flares, which are very fast streaks in the night sky. Sometimes these can be very bright, so bright I wouldn't doubt that they could be seen in daylight as some even outshine Venus, which is our brightest thing in the sky except for the Sun and the Moon.
"Most nights there are meteors that will streak across the sky from no apparent showers. These are sporadic meteors, which is just a grain of dust.
"As to what UFOs look like or are likely to look like I have no idea. I have never seen one to my knowledge.
"The only flying saucer I have ever seen was expertly launched by my late mother at an older cheeky brother. He was lucky the cup didn't follow."
Perhaps sensible Warwickshire residents rationalise the many secrets of the night skies before running to the authorities. Or perhaps we really are alone in the universe.
But the question remains - could it all be a cover up?
Archives of UFO sightings - dubbed the British X-files- released by the Ministry of Defence reveal that the little green men are not interested in the county.
Amid a glut of reports from neighbouring Birmingham, Staffordshire, Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire, just a couple of lonely documents detail suspected alien encounters in Shakespeare's County between 1978 and 2002.
Perhaps the extra-terrestrials are simply not interested in great literature or maybe Warwickshire residents spend a lot of time staring at their feet rather than the skies.
But several times the Observer has been contacted by locals convinced they've made sightings of their own - a common factor in many cases being that the spotters had been drinking.
Inspired by this we put in a freedom of information (FOI) request to Warwickshire County Council, asking for a record of any UFO sightings reported to them.
The swift reply read: "We will treat this as an FOI request if you wish us to.
"However we would ask you to be understanding of the fact that each FOI request made to the council takes a certain resource commitment and we are generally inclined not to deal with requests that tend towards the frivolous."
Just 19 seconds later we received a second email stating: "Having considered your request for information I regret to advise you that the county council does not hold the information you have requested.
"This is because the county council does not record reports of UFO sightings and as far as I am aware, no such sightings have been reported to the council."
The truth may be out there somewhere, but not at Shire Hall.
Undeterred, we asked the Coventry and Warwickshire Astronomy Society to probe the mystery.
Vice chairman Clive Rogers was able to shed some light on the subject - but conspiracy theorists might not like the answer.
He said: "I can't find anyone who will come forward who has seen anything that cannot be explained, be it by manmade or natural forces.
"Most of the time its either a bright planet or a satellite that is going over - if you have not seen the ISS (International Space Station) that could throw you. This is a very bright object that starts in the west and flies east, and sometimes it stops shining just like someone has turned off the lights - this is because the ISS has now gone into the earths shadow.
"There are some satellites called Iridium Flares, which are very fast streaks in the night sky. Sometimes these can be very bright, so bright I wouldn't doubt that they could be seen in daylight as some even outshine Venus, which is our brightest thing in the sky except for the Sun and the Moon.
"Most nights there are meteors that will streak across the sky from no apparent showers. These are sporadic meteors, which is just a grain of dust.
"As to what UFOs look like or are likely to look like I have no idea. I have never seen one to my knowledge.
"The only flying saucer I have ever seen was expertly launched by my late mother at an older cheeky brother. He was lucky the cup didn't follow."
Perhaps sensible Warwickshire residents rationalise the many secrets of the night skies before running to the authorities. Or perhaps we really are alone in the universe.
But the question remains - could it all be a cover up?
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