UFO sightings in North East skies were meteors

Reports of mysterious lights in the region's night sky have flooded into the police.

They came in at about 11pm on Friday night but have been attributed to meteors rather extra terrestrial visitors.

Gary Fildes, the lead astronomer at the public research facility the Kielder Observatory in Northumberland, said this was the largest, "best one by far" meteor he has ever seen:

Gary Fildes said some people grew scared at one point as it looked as though the meteor was going to hit them.

There is speculation today that the 'fireball in the sky' was actually 'space junk' burning up in the atmosphere but the astronomer thinks there is too much evidence against this theory.

Mr Fildes says there was a huge surge in meteor activity before the large meteor was spotted and then afterwards, suggesting to him it was in fact a meteor.

He also says it was coloured slightly green suggesting the presence of metals like copper or iron, plus it was travelling East to West which Gary says would be unlikely for 'space junk' to do.

For more on this story see ITV National News site.