MYSTERY surrounds a crop circle which appeared in Westbury last week.

On Thursday, August 4, the flower-shaped crop circle appeared in a field near the White Horse, prompting curious onlookers to ask how it got there.

Avid crop circle researcher and photographer Matthew Williams, who has been gathering footage of the phenomenon for website Crop Circle Connector for 20 years, was keen to investigate it as soon as he caught wind.


He said: “It all stemmed from a rumour as we were not directly told about it, which made it even more intriguing.

“We saw something posted on Facebook so decided to go and have a look and it was only when we got to the top of the White Horse that we knew it was real. It was nice to know we hadn’t been sent on a wild goose chase.

“I’m not too sure how it got there, but let’s just say if aliens had eyelids they would be winking and nudging. I think the most realistic likelihood is that artists who have an interest in crop circles made it.

“Whoever it is, it certainly creates an interesting atmosphere and gets people talking.

“I don’t think the farmers are usually consulted beforehand, people just go and do it without asking in most instances.

“There is one farmer who once charged people to go on the land and take a closer look at the circle on his land and then gave the money raised to charity. I think that’s a brilliant idea which makes everyone happy.

“This one in particular has been causing quite a bit of interest lately, there’s a doctor in Australia who is adamant he can see alien faces encoded around the outside of it – you never know.”

Crop circles, allegedly made by landing UFOs, have been widely considered one of the world's biggest paranormal hoaxes since the 1960s, but sightings of irregular crop patterns date back to as early as the 1600s.

But people who have tried to demystify their creation in the past have suggested they are instead formed by planks of wood attached to string to flatten out the design.