Report By James Franklin

RESIDENTS in one village experienced a close encounter of the third kind when they spotted a UFO hovering near their homes.

The silver-white flying object was spotted by at least three people on the Mendip Hills behind Banwell.

The sighting is just one of thousands potential alien sightings included in information released by the National Archives alongside thousands of other files containing reporting sightings up and down the UK.

The unidentified object was spotted at about 3.20 pm on June 6, 1987 over the hills behind the village.

The silver-white object was traveling in an easterly direction over the hills, before appearing to land.

The object then disappeared behind the trees on the hill.

Also included in 6,700 pages released by the National Archives are reports about sightings, briefings on UFOs to former Prime Minister Tony Blair and even an account of a visit by the ‘men in black.’

Many of the witness statements given in the documents, which have been compiled in 25 files, are given by credible witnesses such as police officers, air traffic control staff and military pilots.

The files can be viewed at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ufos