Something very strange is happening in the skies above Keighley.

During the last two weeks there have been several reported sightings of UFOs over Keighley which would get the collective pulses of X Files FBI agents Mulder and Scully racing like a train.

this week a leading UFO researcher told the Keighley News there has been 'a wave of UFOs on our doorstep'.

The latest wave of sightings took place just before dusk on Wednesday evening last week, between 6.30 and 7.30pm. Local people reported glowing silver balls hovering over different parts of Keighley.

Jeanette Khan of North Dean Road, Braithwaite, was waking her dog Lucky along Broster Avenue last Wednesday when she saw the strange lights in the sky.

She says: "It was just getting towards dusk and I was walking lucky as usual when I saw a grey ball just hovering over the trees.

"It was the colour of a silver ballbearing and had a ring of lights around it which made it look like the orb carried by the Queen on special occasions.

"The thing just hovered there silently for a few minutes. I was expecting a door to open, but instead it shot off across the sky.

"It was without doubt the most frightening experience of my life and even Lucky was shaking with fear. People have told me that it was probably a helicopter or plane but there was no way it could have been anything like that.

"I'm usually quite sceptical about things like this but not any more after what I have seen."

On the same evening there were reports of several glowing globes hovering above Keighley Tarn and Swire Smith Middle School at Long Lee.

Similar strange phenomena were seen hovering over Haworth Parish Church three weeks ago by Dolores and Jack Gillson, of Lower Brow Farm. The couple say they saw a bright light hover silently over the church for several minutes before shooting off in an instant.

Bradford-based Russ Kellet is a member of the UFO International Research Association. For the last two years he has investigated a number of sightings in the Keighley and South Craven area.

He says: "We have been receiving about three sightings a week at the moment which is incredible, and there has been a lot of activity in the Keighley area.

"We have had just about everyone getting in touch with us recently about the sighting over Haworth and we have had reports from people coming out of a church in Buttershaw, who saw a gold and silver ball.

"Areas like Long Lee have a history of sightings, especially along the road across the top to Harden.

"We seem to have a wave of UFOs on our doorstep at the moment.

"I have been in touch with Leeds Bradford Airport and they have one reported sighting of a UFO.

"We have also been in touch with the Ministry of Defence about the sightings but they haven't got back to us yet.

"We are taking all possible steps to try and find out what these things actually are."

Russ says that in the past couple of years there have been reports of 15-foot-tall dark beings roaming the moors around Keighley.

The Aire Valley and Ilkley Moor have traditionally been recognised as hotbeds of paranormal and UFO activity.

Have you had a UFO sighting? Contact reporter Richard Brugger on 01535 606611.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.