written by Ben Pike

CAMPBELLTOWN’S new president of the UFO and Paranormal Research Society of Australia said the UFO sighting at Chipping Norton last week could be scout ships hovering behind a mothership.

However a Campbelltown worker says the floating objects were more likely helium balloons escaping from her son’s hand after a McDonald’s party last week.

Whatever your interpretation, southwest Sydney’s latest UFO sighting has got members of the Paranormal Society talking, and even triggered an investigation from visiting scientist Bill Chalker.

Woodbine’s Larraine Cilia (pictured), elected president of the almost decade-old society in January, said the objects “looked like a mothership with two other scout ships”.

“We want to get our hands on the original photograph to investigate further, but at this stage it looks like there could be something there.”

But Tracy Mellary, who works in Campbelltown, said the alleged space ships were actually two balloons - one purple, one green - that her son Harrison let go not a kilometre from where the photo was taken.

“My son and I laughed and joked when we saw it on the news, but when we realised the photo was taken so close to where we were at that time, we thought it could easily be the balloons,” she said.

Ms Cilia said the society was excited about scientist Bill Chalker coming to speak at the Campbelltown Arts Centre, at 7pm on April 14.

Mr Chalker, who has spent 35 years investigating UFO sightings and alien abductions, said last week the sighting reported recently is almost certainly genuine.

Ms Cilia said The Oaks, Cawdor and Razorback were the Macarthur region’s “hotbed” of unexplained sightings.

She added that there were some sightings over the region’s skies which had no explanation, and that most activity in Macarthur occurred in the region’s western rural areas.

Details from: ufosociety.net.au