First contact for UFO mecca?

The Roswell Incident made the area infamous

Scotland's UFO hot-spot could be set to make contact - with a city known across the world as a mecca for alien enthusiasts.

A local councillor wants to twin Bonnybridge with Roswell, the US city which has been synonymous with other-worldly encounters for more than 50 years.

The area sealed its place in folklore when it was claimed that a spaceship had landed in New Mexico in 1947.

It was said that an alien was taken to a secret military base, where an autopsy was carried out and captured on film.

We in Bonnybridge have an affinity with Roswell, and the common denominator is UFOs

Councillor Billy Buchanan

However, the Scottish town of Bonnybridge could have usurped its crown, having been dubbed the UFO capital of the world by some enthusiasts.

Dozens of unexplained sightings have been recorded in the area, which attracts visitors from across the globe.

Councillor Billy Buchanan has held a public meeting which could pave the way for a twinning arrangement between them.

He believes the link would be a progressive step for the regeneration of the area.

Intense media

"We in Bonnybridge have an affinity with Roswell, and the common denominator is UFOs," he said.

"Obviously that has been the mecca because of the intense media at that time in 1947.

"But it is not as active as Bonnybridge. It is the UFO hot-spot of the world because of the ongoing sightings in the area.

"Bonnybridge has had more sightings than anywhere else in the world."

He said experts from across the world had touched down in the area to examine the phenomena, but no-one could say why the area had so many sightings.

Full support

He hoped the general public would turn out for Tuesday night's meeting to discuss the proposed link.

"The cultural, tourist, social and economic advantages would be tremendous for the area and I think I will get full support for this," he said.

He also said that an Anglo-American company was planning to visit the area to present plans for a £20m theme park.

"We have got to move forward. There has been a lot of discussion lately about the tourism situation in Scotland and how it is diminishing with the established tourist sights that we have.

"We have got to move forward and regenerate and I think this could be the way forward for a theme scenario in the central belt of Scotland," he said.