UFO reports after lights spotted

Orange lights have been reported over Cumbria

A series of lights that have been spotted flashing over Cumbria have caused a stir with UFO experts.

Bright orange flares, which have been described as street lights in the sky, have been seen off the coast of Ravenglass, near Sellafield.

In the latest sighting a coastguard said there were two lights together then one veered off.

Nick Pope, formerly a Ministry of Defence UFO investigator, said these orange lights could not be explained.

According to the MoD, under the Freedom of Information Act, there have been four strange sightings over Cumbria since 1999.

Mr Pope, a UFO enthusiast, said: "Possible UFO sightings are often in the form of orange lights that move quickly and shoot through the sky.

"They are also the most commonly reported, we will definitely be investigating this further."

Local astronomer, Stuart Atkinson, however, has dismissed ideas that they are UFOs.

He said: "People can often see bright flares from the solar panels of mobile phone satellites when they reflect sunlight.

"Venus can also be seen with the naked eye around this time, which could result in people thinking they are seeing a UFO."