STREET art depicting UFOs and aliens has appeared in Warminster to mark 50 years since ‘The Thing’.

Organised by staff at Warminster’s Information Centre, the mural appeared on Sunday after being sprayed onto a wall at the back of the police station by an unknown artist to celebrate the phenomenon in 1965.

Several reports of sightings and strange noises sparked a frenzy in the 60s and 70s as thousands of people flocked to the town to try and glimpse their own extra-terrestrial sighting.

George Rich, joint manager at the information centre who helped set the stunt up, said: “We’ve been trying to organise something for eight months because this year is the 50th anniversary of ‘The Warminster Thing’ so we wanted to do something for it.

“It’s unique to Warminster and no other town in the area can lay claim to it. Hopefully the anniversary should be a huge thing in the town.

“I’m told the artist still has one more element to add and that when he’s finished it should glow in the dark, which would be pretty amazing.”

Much like the mad influx in the 1960s and 70s, UFO enthusiasts and sky watchers will once again converge on the town this year, to attend a special event marking the anniversary.

Warminster 2015 will be held on August 29 at the Old Bell Hotel, where well-known and respected speakers from the UFO community are due to attend.

Lesley Blain, also joint manager of the information centre, said: “People have been really positive so far. When it was being put up they were like ‘oh my god look at that’ and taking pictures.

“It’s not graffiti, though, it’s street art and we spent eight months getting permission from PCC Angus Macpherson and the council so we did it all properly.

“We’re hoping people will get selfies with it and that it will be really positive for the town."

Kevin Goodman, organiser of this year's anniversary event, is impressed by the mural.

He said: “Personally, it came as a complete surprise, and I welcome the fact that at long last, certain sections of Warminster's community have embraced the phenomenon that made the town famous in the 1960s and 1970s.

“Tickets sales for the event are healthy, that I can't deny.

“I'm so pleased that this unique art has gained a lot of media interest.

“We are really excited about the conference, as this will be the last chance for people to interact with some of those who were there.”

Tickets for Warminster 2015 are available from www.jumblebee.co.uk/warminster2015