1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:11,250 a tenth and final collection of Ministry 2 00:00:08,130 --> 00:00:14,880 of Defense UFO files released by the 3 00:00:11,250 --> 00:00:17,640 National Archives there are 25 separate 4 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:19,380 files of sightings something in the 5 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:22,460 order of four thousand three hundred 6 00:00:19,379 --> 00:00:25,320 pages in total that you can now download 7 00:00:22,460 --> 00:00:29,250 from the National Archives website and 8 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:33,179 they cover mainly the years 2008 2009 9 00:00:29,250 --> 00:00:36,469 the ministry closed the UFO desk and 10 00:00:33,179 --> 00:00:40,200 cancelled their UFO hotline in November 11 00:00:36,469 --> 00:00:44,879 2009 and that brought to an end almost 12 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:47,879 60 years of collecting analyzing and in 13 00:00:44,878 --> 00:00:50,968 some cases investigating sightings of 14 00:00:47,878 --> 00:00:53,159 mysterious things seen in the sky at the 15 00:00:50,969 --> 00:00:55,410 highlights of this collection of them 16 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:57,929 UFO files the last one is the build-up 17 00:00:55,409 --> 00:01:02,808 to the Ministry of Defense's decision in 18 00:00:57,929 --> 00:01:06,299 November 2009 to close the UFO files and 19 00:01:02,808 --> 00:01:08,579 in that month they they closed the the 20 00:01:06,299 --> 00:01:12,420 UFO hotline number which members of the 21 00:01:08,579 --> 00:01:14,868 public have used since 1997 to report 22 00:01:12,420 --> 00:01:19,109 their sightings directly to Whitehall 23 00:01:14,868 --> 00:01:22,530 they also redeployed the final UFO desk 24 00:01:19,109 --> 00:01:24,569 officer and they sent out letters to the 25 00:01:22,530 --> 00:01:26,728 Home Office and to the Civil Aviation 26 00:01:24,569 --> 00:01:30,298 Authority basically saying that the 27 00:01:26,728 --> 00:01:33,688 ministry no longer wanted to receive UFO 28 00:01:30,299 --> 00:01:36,150 reports from the CAA or from the police 29 00:01:33,688 --> 00:01:37,859 and there were no longer going to 30 00:01:36,150 --> 00:01:41,340 investigate any anything that was 31 00:01:37,859 --> 00:01:43,530 reported to them in this seven 32 00:01:41,340 --> 00:01:46,618 collection files of four thousand three 33 00:01:43,530 --> 00:01:49,769 hundred pages and 25 separate files and 34 00:01:46,618 --> 00:01:52,950 the really big year is 2009 because in 35 00:01:49,769 --> 00:01:55,109 that year the ministry received 643 36 00:01:52,950 --> 00:01:57,450 separate sightings that's up to november 37 00:01:55,109 --> 00:02:00,718 when the the UFO desk was finally closed 38 00:01:57,450 --> 00:02:02,579 and that figure was that was actually it 39 00:02:00,718 --> 00:02:05,459 was it was quite a record-breaking 40 00:02:02,578 --> 00:02:07,349 number for the for the mo d it was it 41 00:02:05,459 --> 00:02:09,758 the numbers of sightings had traveled 42 00:02:07,349 --> 00:02:13,060 from the previous year that was 2008 43 00:02:09,758 --> 00:02:15,669 and on average during that decade the 44 00:02:13,060 --> 00:02:19,209 the mo d was receiving between 100 and 45 00:02:15,669 --> 00:02:21,699 200 per year per annum but that those 46 00:02:19,209 --> 00:02:25,348 members doubled in 2008 and trebled in 47 00:02:21,699 --> 00:02:28,238 2009 and that really did put a strain on 48 00:02:25,348 --> 00:02:31,268 the resources that the mo d had 49 00:02:28,239 --> 00:02:33,759 committed to this subject and really led 50 00:02:31,269 --> 00:02:37,780 up to their decision to finally pull the 51 00:02:33,759 --> 00:02:40,959 plug on Britain's x-files simply because 52 00:02:37,780 --> 00:02:43,239 they just didn't have the resources to 53 00:02:40,959 --> 00:02:44,829 investigate these sightings or to look 54 00:02:43,239 --> 00:02:46,450 at them in any detail so they tended to 55 00:02:44,829 --> 00:02:51,010 be just filed away and the vast majority 56 00:02:46,449 --> 00:02:54,369 of the sightings in 2008 and 2009 seemed 57 00:02:51,009 --> 00:02:56,949 to be of very down to down to earth 58 00:02:54,370 --> 00:02:58,599 objects such as Chinese lanterns that 59 00:02:56,949 --> 00:03:00,969 have been released by people at parties 60 00:02:58,598 --> 00:03:03,848 and weddings and these have been 61 00:03:00,969 --> 00:03:05,530 reported photographs have been published 62 00:03:03,848 --> 00:03:07,509 in the newspapers and that encourage 63 00:03:05,530 --> 00:03:09,549 more people to report these things and 64 00:03:07,509 --> 00:03:11,919 what you find is looking through the 65 00:03:09,549 --> 00:03:13,510 reports you get people were enjoying 66 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:15,668 themselves out at night during the 67 00:03:13,509 --> 00:03:18,159 summer barbecue some of them sat in hot 68 00:03:15,669 --> 00:03:20,319 tubs and they see something odd in the 69 00:03:18,159 --> 00:03:22,418 sky and they take a photograph on their 70 00:03:20,318 --> 00:03:24,310 mobile phone and there are lots of 71 00:03:22,419 --> 00:03:26,230 examples in here where people have 72 00:03:24,310 --> 00:03:27,878 really really excited about some orange 73 00:03:26,229 --> 00:03:30,280 light that we've seen in the sky they 74 00:03:27,878 --> 00:03:32,560 want to tell someone about it so there 75 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:34,780 is a UFO hotline that the ministry was 76 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:36,848 was running at that time and they would 77 00:03:34,780 --> 00:03:39,039 contact the hotline they would leave a 78 00:03:36,848 --> 00:03:40,959 message and it would send some footage 79 00:03:39,039 --> 00:03:44,560 from their mobile phone off and up from 80 00:03:40,959 --> 00:03:46,569 their iPhone some cases and the 81 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:48,430 photographs you can see them yourself in 82 00:03:46,568 --> 00:03:50,198 the files they're not very good quality 83 00:03:48,430 --> 00:03:52,000 a lot of them are just little blobs of 84 00:03:50,199 --> 00:03:53,650 light against a very dark background 85 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:55,780 there are some more interesting 86 00:03:53,650 --> 00:03:58,840 photographs there's one for instance of 87 00:03:55,780 --> 00:04:01,269 a UFO supposedly seen over Stonehenge in 88 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:03,729 Wiltshire but when you actually look at 89 00:04:01,269 --> 00:04:06,099 the description of that you find in a 90 00:04:03,729 --> 00:04:07,689 lot of these cases that that the people 91 00:04:06,098 --> 00:04:09,638 have sent photographs in they didn't 92 00:04:07,689 --> 00:04:11,079 actually see anything at the time they 93 00:04:09,639 --> 00:04:13,449 took the photograph so it's only when 94 00:04:11,079 --> 00:04:15,189 they downloaded it later that they 95 00:04:13,449 --> 00:04:16,870 noticed something odd and then maybe 96 00:04:15,189 --> 00:04:19,000 because there's the beam publicity about 97 00:04:16,870 --> 00:04:20,739 sightings in the press if thought that 98 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:22,490 should tell someone about it the vast 99 00:04:20,738 --> 00:04:24,109 majority of cases where 100 00:04:22,490 --> 00:04:26,060 nothing was actually seen at the time 101 00:04:24,110 --> 00:04:28,220 but then shown up on on a on a 102 00:04:26,060 --> 00:04:32,410 photograph it turns out to be some kind 103 00:04:28,220 --> 00:04:36,020 of film fault that's created the image 104 00:04:32,410 --> 00:04:38,930 so one of the really outstanding reports 105 00:04:36,019 --> 00:04:41,089 in this set of files is a sighting that 106 00:04:38,930 --> 00:04:44,060 was made by a group of soldiers from the 107 00:04:41,089 --> 00:04:46,098 Royal Irish Regiment at turnhill 108 00:04:44,060 --> 00:04:50,360 barracks in Shropshire and that was in 109 00:04:46,098 --> 00:04:53,029 June 2008 this was a period when the 110 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:55,610 ministry was receiving and a very large 111 00:04:53,029 --> 00:04:58,129 number of sightings of objects in the 112 00:04:55,610 --> 00:05:02,360 sky that were described as an orange 113 00:04:58,129 --> 00:05:05,329 ball shaped phenomena that often was 114 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:07,158 seen in clusters of lights than bobbed 115 00:05:05,329 --> 00:05:09,889 around in the sky moved around in 116 00:05:07,158 --> 00:05:11,329 formation completely silent and a lot of 117 00:05:09,889 --> 00:05:13,848 these sightings were reported in the 118 00:05:11,329 --> 00:05:15,649 national media in the tabloids and the 119 00:05:13,848 --> 00:05:17,089 more sightings that were reported the 120 00:05:15,649 --> 00:05:20,359 more encouraged people to come forward 121 00:05:17,089 --> 00:05:21,918 with their own accounts and this this 122 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:24,620 group of soldiers they were out on 123 00:05:21,918 --> 00:05:27,218 guards do chick guard duty at least this 124 00:05:24,620 --> 00:05:30,050 basin in Shropshire and they saw these 125 00:05:27,218 --> 00:05:32,779 clusters of small rotating objects in 126 00:05:30,050 --> 00:05:35,598 the sky and one of the soldiers of 127 00:05:32,779 --> 00:05:39,079 corporal captured images of these and 128 00:05:35,598 --> 00:05:42,800 these objects on his mobile phone and he 129 00:05:39,079 --> 00:05:45,228 decided to contact me the news media and 130 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:49,509 the story appeared on the front page of 131 00:05:45,228 --> 00:05:53,478 The Sun newspaper later emerged that the 132 00:05:49,509 --> 00:05:55,280 manager of a nearby hotel and had a 133 00:05:53,478 --> 00:05:57,379 wedding party on the night of his 134 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:59,478 sighting during which the guests had 135 00:05:57,379 --> 00:06:01,430 released a large number of Chinese 136 00:05:59,478 --> 00:06:03,918 lanterns and so the obvious conclusion 137 00:06:01,430 --> 00:06:07,728 was that what had been seen by the 138 00:06:03,918 --> 00:06:12,019 soldiers were Chinese lanterns so 139 00:06:07,728 --> 00:06:14,120 there's quite a substantial file on the 140 00:06:12,019 --> 00:06:16,698 on this sighting and how the Ministry of 141 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:19,009 Defence decided they would react to it 142 00:06:16,699 --> 00:06:21,860 what you're getting these files are lots 143 00:06:19,009 --> 00:06:23,900 of amusing letters from people people 144 00:06:21,860 --> 00:06:25,848 who believe they've been contacted by 145 00:06:23,899 --> 00:06:28,579 aliens people are getting telepathic 146 00:06:25,848 --> 00:06:31,490 messages from aliens and you get lots of 147 00:06:28,579 --> 00:06:33,139 photographs that people have taken of 148 00:06:31,490 --> 00:06:35,560 odd things in the sky and sometimes 149 00:06:33,139 --> 00:06:37,930 people send in sketches and even photo 150 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:39,759 sharp images because they are they 151 00:06:37,930 --> 00:06:40,750 haven't had the had a camera with them 152 00:06:39,759 --> 00:06:42,519 and they want to have some way of 153 00:06:40,750 --> 00:06:47,560 depicting what it is that this scene and 154 00:06:42,519 --> 00:06:50,199 also one of the more amusing enclosures 155 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:53,439 in these files is this letter for me and 156 00:06:50,199 --> 00:06:55,990 a schoolgirl that was sent to the 157 00:06:53,439 --> 00:06:58,449 Ministry of Defense in January 2009 and 158 00:06:55,990 --> 00:07:01,870 she'd she'd been out in in the garden 159 00:06:58,449 --> 00:07:04,509 with a father and she'd seen a lot of 160 00:07:01,870 --> 00:07:06,069 little flying objects flying around in 161 00:07:04,509 --> 00:07:07,569 the sky and she she wrote to the 162 00:07:06,069 --> 00:07:09,790 Ministry of Defense and she said this 163 00:07:07,569 --> 00:07:12,370 little picture of an alien waving from 164 00:07:09,790 --> 00:07:14,050 inside a flying saucer and she said 165 00:07:12,370 --> 00:07:17,410 please tell me what the truth is I have 166 00:07:14,050 --> 00:07:19,449 a right to know what you also get in 167 00:07:17,410 --> 00:07:22,660 these and files are you get people 168 00:07:19,449 --> 00:07:25,478 reporting things unusual natural 169 00:07:22,660 --> 00:07:27,610 phenomenon and this is one that I found 170 00:07:25,478 --> 00:07:31,168 particularly interesting and it happened 171 00:07:27,610 --> 00:07:35,680 in August 2009 and this is a lady in 172 00:07:31,168 --> 00:07:39,339 endorser and she was in her kitchen one 173 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:43,360 night 950 and through the kitchen window 174 00:07:39,339 --> 00:07:45,189 came this bright white fire ball about 175 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:48,610 the size of the football and it flew in 176 00:07:45,189 --> 00:07:50,709 through the open window and exploded in 177 00:07:48,610 --> 00:07:52,949 a flash and white light in her kitchen 178 00:07:50,709 --> 00:07:55,359 and she was obviously as you can imagine 179 00:07:52,949 --> 00:07:57,430 extremely upset and worried about what 180 00:07:55,360 --> 00:08:01,330 had happened but reading the description 181 00:07:57,430 --> 00:08:02,918 is the classic account of them what's 182 00:08:01,329 --> 00:08:06,069 known as ball lightning which is a very 183 00:08:02,918 --> 00:08:07,870 very rare form of lightning that is 184 00:08:06,069 --> 00:08:10,360 sometimes reported and there are 185 00:08:07,870 --> 00:08:11,860 numerous other examples of people who've 186 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:13,330 seen these lightning balls that have 187 00:08:11,860 --> 00:08:15,160 actually sometimes come down the 188 00:08:13,329 --> 00:08:19,449 chimneys in houses or floated through 189 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:22,330 open windows and there are examples of 190 00:08:19,449 --> 00:08:25,000 people who have been harmed by them and 191 00:08:22,329 --> 00:08:27,129 burned but in this case fortunately this 192 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:29,470 lady didn't suffer any ill effects and 193 00:08:27,129 --> 00:08:31,538 she could find no traces of this thing 194 00:08:29,470 --> 00:08:33,820 once it had exploded so she was very 195 00:08:31,538 --> 00:08:37,658 very fortunate have now come to the end 196 00:08:33,820 --> 00:08:40,450 of this program of releases for the for 197 00:08:37,658 --> 00:08:43,330 the UFO files and it's often said about 198 00:08:40,450 --> 00:08:46,030 UFOs that the truth is out there now in 199 00:08:43,330 --> 00:08:48,180 my opinion the truth is actually in here 200 00:08:46,029 --> 00:08:50,129 in these files and we 201 00:08:48,179 --> 00:08:51,750 I would encourage everyone who's 202 00:08:50,129 --> 00:08:56,490 interested in subject whether you 203 00:08:51,750 --> 00:08:58,679 believe or whether you disbelieve take 204 00:08:56,490 --> 00:09:00,089 the time to have a look at the contents 205 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:02,219 of these files that can now be 206 00:09:00,089 --> 00:09:04,700 downloaded from the National Archives 207 00:09:02,220 --> 00:09:04,700 website 208 00:09:17,710 --> 00:09:19,769 you