Snapper's surprise as UFO story goes global (From Wiltshire Times)

Snapper's surprise as UFO story goes global

5:30pm Tuesday 11th August 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share

An amateur photographer’s snapshot of a UFO seemingly ‘tracking’ a Hercules in the skies above Westbury has been international news since the Wiltshire Times broke the story.

John Powell, 56, from The Butts, Westbury, took the photograph of the Hercules from RAF Lyneham, which was being trailed by a mysterious shape, at about 3.45pm on July 22 while in his garden looking towards the Westbury White Horse.

Since we published the photo on July 31, the story has gone global, appearing on Indian, American and Indonesian TV, as well as newspapers in Australia.

The story has hit the national papers in the UK, including The Telegraph and the Daily Express, and was featured on ITN News.

Mr Powell, a retired school teacher, said: “I just wanted the photo to be in the public forum and open to interpretation.

“I’m an innocent observer who wants to know what it is, but so far no-one has come up with a reasonable explanation.

“I’ve had some interesting feedback. Someone at The Telegraph pointed out to me that the plane had no markings so I went on the Lyneham website and found out that their transport division don’t carry markings.

“I think it’s a pilotless aircraft like a drone for some military purpose, similar to those used in Afghanistan.”

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said it only examines reports to establish whether UK airspace may have been compromised by hostile or unauthorised military activity.

The RAF has been sent the photographs but has refused to comment.

• Print
• Email
• Share