Warwickshire investigator searching for UFO answers

IF the truth really is out there than it might just be found in Exhall near Wixford, at least that’s what former police detective John Hanson thinks.

John, who served 27 years with West Midlands Police, has spent a quarter of a century researching UFO sighting across the UK and plans to invite the public to see his work, by opening The GB UFO Museum in the village.

Since retiring John has put his investigative skills to use, interviewing many who claim to have spotted UFOs.

With contributions from others, John has now amassed a huge collection of almost 30 boxes of documents and plans to run a kind of public records office for UFO sightings.

John said: “During my time in the police I had no interest in all this, if you’d have reported sightings like this to me, I’d have thought you’d been drinking. However, in 1996 a close police colleague told me about something they’d seen in Lee Bank in Birmingham. I spoke to a few other people who said they’d witnessed seeing something in Banbury and Oxfordshire shortly beforehand too. All this just triggered the interest for me.”

John, 75, has written around 20 books on British UFO sightings, been interviewed on The One Show and sometimes give lectures.

He says he’s not alone in having a passion for UFOs, adding that celebrities and politicians are among those with an interest. He himself interviewed the late Coronation Street star Betty Driver, who played Betty Turpin in the soap, about her own sighting.

Remaining open minded about explanations for UFO sightings, John declines to speculate about whether they are visits from aliens or not, preferring people to make up their own minds.

John says he too has had his a UFO experience, recalling how he saw what he described as a circle of light hovering over Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk, in 2000.

Although having misgivings about some of those claiming to be Ufologists and the stigma that is sometimes attached to UFOs, he says he has always found the witnesses he has interviewed to be honest and genuine.

He said: “This has never really done me any good, I’ve spent a lot of money doing this, but it’s what I’m passionate about, I really enjoy it and it keeps me busy.

“There’s a lot of scepticism about UFOs but whether you are a believer or not, I just think have a look at this stuff before you make up your mind. The truth is UFO sightings are ten a penny, but if you see one, it changes your life.

“There are just so many people who have seen these things and I’m firmly of the opinion that there are many more who just don’t ever report them because they worry about being ridiculed. There’s just so many stories, that’s the reason for the interest, if people didn’t report these things there would be nothing to discuss.

“I think it’s important that these things are recorded, I don’t want this all to just be lost, so if anyone has an interest in this, wants to look at the material or just wants to pop around for a chat, I’d be happy to see them.”

If you would like to see John’s collection of British UFO material, email john.hanson.ee@gmail.com.

Stratford and UFOs

While other areas of the county are more renowned for alleged UFO sightings, Stratford District is no stranger to strange goings on in the skies.

• Back in December 1990 the Herald reported on a string of mystery lights seen above Stratford. A woman on Loxley Road reported seeing them shortly before hearing two explosions. An explosion and a flash of light were also reported by another woman living on Tiddington Road. Despite a helicopter search of the area police were unable to find any clues.
• In March 1994 motorists were reportedly stopped in their tracks by something strange in the sky close to the A439 Stratford to Evesham Road. According to the Herald a dome shaped object was spotted hovering over a field, while a similar object was seen by other motorists between Gaydon and Little Kineton. Air Traffic Control in Birmingham later said the object may have been an airship travelling between London and Wolverhampton that night.
• John has also highlighted a number of other alleged UFO sightings in the Stratford area from the 1960s and 1990s.