The mysterious sightings at Rendlesham Forest are known as Britain’s Roswell

In December 1980, the skies above Suffolk were ablaze with strange lights in the biggest UFO sighting in the UK as dozens of witnesses allegedly saw an alien aircraft land.

Now, nearly 35 years later, a former US army commander is convinced he has found new “evidence” to prove the extraordinary sightings at Rendlesham Forest were real.

Colonel Charles Halt, who was deputy colonel at the Bentwaters airbase on the two nights the flashing lights appeared, said he now has statements from radar operators that an unknown object was tracked at the time.

He insists “we are not alone” and has accused the authorities of covering up paranormal activity.

Speaking at a UFO conference in Woodbridge, Suffolk, he said: “There is no doubt in my mind we are not alone and there are some people (in power) who know this, but even Mr (Barack) Obama won’t get through to them.”

The 75-year-old, who now lives in the US state of Virginia, said some former service people had not wanted to speak until they retired.

He said: “I have confirmation that (Bentwaters radar operators)… saw the object go across their 60 mile (96km) scope in two or three seconds, thousands of miles an hour, he came back across their scope again, stopped near the water tower, they watched it and observed it go into the forest where we were.

“At Wattisham, they picked up what they called a ‘bogie’ and lost it near Rendlesham Forest.

“Whatever was there was clearly under intelligent control.”

The Rendlesham legend has been dubbed Britain’s Roswell after the mystery UFO crash said to have happened outside the town in New Mexico, USA, in July 1947.

Three US officers based at RAF Bentwaters claimed a “triangular shaped craft” landed in neighbouring woods in the early hours of December 26 1980.

Col Halt was not present during the first encounter, but was informed the next morning.

He claimed the officers who first saw the lights and then a UFO “on the floor” could not account for a 40 minute period while searching in the woods when their communication systems went “off air”.

The three – John Burroughs, Bud Steffens, and James Penniston, later told of feeling “static” as they observed the object’s flashing lights and hieroglyphic-like markings.

Mr Halt then said on the evening of December 27 1980 that officers had shouted: “It’s back, the UFO’s back.”

He went to investigate with a team who found three 1.5inch “impact holes,” damage to the canopies of trees and “higher radiation levels” in the “landing” area.

He said soon after they saw a mysterious object with a red light that kept on bobbing up and down in a field. Sparks came off it and it exploded.

UFO evidence

They then spotted objects in the sky, 3,000 to 4,000ft up. One was “elliptical, but became a “full circle”.

He later saw bright white lights, like landing lights, one of which shot out a laser beam from 3,000 feet.

He says he told his superiors who said it was a British matter and refused to investigate. He also accuses the Ministry of Defence of trying to suppress reports of the incident by hiding documents such as medical records.

Source Daily Mirror