The Flixton UFO... an explanation! (From Messenger Newspapers)

The Flixton UFO... an explanation!

4:21pm Friday 9th February 2007 in News By Simon Greenhalgh

IT appears there maybe an earthly explanation to Trafford's UFO mystery.

Messenger's UFO investigator, John Slater, received several reports from people who saw 'strange lights' in the Flixton night sky just before midnight on Saturday, June 24.

One eyewitness 69-year-old Clyde Watson - who lives with his wife, Jacqueline, on Eddisbury Avenue - had gone out to his garage to smoke a cigarette when he saw a series of strange 'tangerine coloured lights' travelling south to north.

Flixton resident Martin Quigley contacted us to clear up the mystery when his girlfriend read last week's story.

And it seems, rather than experiencing a close encounter of the first kind, residents were witnessing Martin's 28th birthday celebrations.

He explained: "The lights in the sky were from me and my friends, it was my birthday on June 24 and we were celebrated by letting off some mini 'glo-lanterns'.

"We got the idea from when we went to Glastonbury and you see them floating gently off into the night sky."

He added: "We didn't really mean to get so many people involved - I couldn't believe it when my girlfriend opened up SUM and showed me the story."