UFO spotted over CotteredBy Ciaran Gold
THE village of Cottered has been thrust into the middle of the UFO debate after a disc-shaped object was spotted early this morning (Wednesday August 4).
BBC Radio 5 Live was deluged with calls after sports reporter Mike Sewell described seeing the strange sighting as he drove through Cottered on the A507 at around 4.50am as he made his way to Stansted Airport to cover a football game in Sweden.
“I just noticed in the sky straight ahead looking like it was descending was what I thought was plane with a bright white light at the front and a couple flashing lights either side and it was coming down,” he told host Nicky Campbell during the breakfast programme.
The reporter presumed there must be an airfield nearby but the mysterious object then banked to the south in the Wood End and Ardeley direction.
He continued: “I then got a good look on it. It wasn’t a helicopter, I’m not sure what it was, but it was disc-shaped [with] at least two panelled lights – soft white lights – underneath and several flashing lights around it.
“It can’t have been a plane because it didn’t continue its journey. I wouldn’t say it hovered but it stayed in a certain area.”
The disbelieving journalist said he watched it for two or three minutes and soon after losing sight of it decided to turn back. He lost track of the object but did see a higher bright light in the sky with a bright white light.
But he says he wasn’t alone during the time of the incident – a Volkswagen was travelling along the road in front of him at the same time, the driver of which “must have seen it.”
Sally Kingsley, partner at Kingsley Bros farm which has fields surrounding the village, confirmed that they didn’t have any combine harvesters or the like operating at the time.
She said: “I did see a slight flash about 5am or 6am whilst driving up to the farm. It looked as if it was going to rain so it could have been lightning, but that’s about it,” laughing off suggestions that the paranormal was the cause.
Cottered churchwarden and de facto village historian Neville Chuck was awake at the time of the sighting, but didn’t notice bright lights in the sky.
“I didn’t see it and we’ve never had anything like this happen before as far as I know, but I’ll keep my eyes open.”
Priest-in-charge Mike Leverton said: “I’ve got seven people staying my house at the moment but no-one saw it.
“I’m certain there is a normal explanation. Cottered is on the Luton flightpath and there can be weird reflections.
“There are no aliens in the back garden as far as I know.”
But just in case little green men are wandering around the village, he added: “We would welcome them into the Church of England, we welcome everybody,” saying he would offer them a cup of coffee providing they had come in peace.
A spokeswoman for Hertfordshire police said they had only received one call on the subject from a member of the public regarding the sighting.
She added: “This is not a regular occurrence but we always encourage anybody to report anything suspect – strange people, strange aircraft and the like on our non-emergency number 101.”
