British Ministry of Defense responses to UFO questions

Findings of an MOD investigation into an alleged UFO sighting above

Craigluscar reservoir near Dunfermline, Fife.

Photograph of a UFO near Pitlochry, Perthshire in 1990

All correspondence, (letters, memos, etc) between ministers and civil

servants relating to the incident at Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk in

December 1980.

Response

I am writing concerning your message dated 6 January in which you

made a request under the Freedom of Information Act for information

about Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) sightings.  Your request has

been passed to this department as we are the focal point within the

Ministry of Defence for correspondence about UFOs.

First you requested the findings of an MOD investigation into an alleged

UFO sighting above Craigluscar Reservoir near Dunfermline, Fife.  Our

records show that The Scottish Daily Record contacted the MOD in

February 1994 concerning a UFO sighting report and some photographs

that they had been sent by a member of the public. The individual

reported travelled to Craigluscar Reservoir on the afternoon of 19

th

February 1994 to take some photographs of the Reservoir to assist with a

painting of the area.  He heard a humming noise, turned towards the

Reservoir and saw a disc-like object, high in the sky, moving slowly in

his direction. He described the object as metallic, with several points of

diffused light on its underside, inside a darker coloured rim.  He took two

photographs before the object moved away to the west.  Air defence 

staff were consulted at the time and records show that there had been no

unusual radar returns.  There is no indication that this sighting produced

anything of defence concern.  The photographs are not contained in our

files and we assume they were returned to the Scottish Daily Record.

You also requested a photograph of a UFO near Pitlochry, Perthshire in

1990.  The MOD does not produce photographs of UFO sightings.  The

only photographs the MOD holds are those which members of the public

very occasionally send to us with their sighting reports.  If requested these

are returned to the individual, or if they do not want them returned, they

are filed with the report in our files.  We have examined our records for

1990 and they contain no photographs relevant to your request. However,

we have a record that two members of the public contacted The Scottish

Daily Record to report a large diamond shape UFO hovering for about 10 minutes before ascending vertically upwards at high speed. The witnesses

said that during the sighting an RAF aircraft believed to be a Harrier was

in the area. The sighting was over Calvine, 20 miles north of Pitlochry at

2100 hours on 4 August 1990.  A number of colour photographs were

taken and passed to The Scottish Daily Record, who in turn sent the

negatives to the MOD.  These were considered at the time and it was

concluded that the jet was a Harrier.  No definite conclusions were

reached regarding large diamond-shaped object. Our records show that

the original negatives were returned to The Scottish Daily Record.

Finally, you asked for correspondence between ministers and civil

servants relating to the incident at Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk in

December 1980.  The MOD papers on this incident are already published

in the MOD Freedom of Information Publication Scheme on the internet

and can be viewed at http://www.foi.mod.uk.  A search under

‘Rendlesham Forest’ will take you directly to these documents. We are

not aware of any specific internal correspondence about this incident

which has not already been released.  It is normal practice for officials to

brief Ministers as to the background of parliamentary business, for

example, when answering specific parliamentary questions.  If this is the

type of information you are seeking, it would be useful if you could

clarify the information you are particularly searching for.  

      

I hope this is useful.  If this information does not address your

requirements or you wish to complain about any aspect of the handling of

this request, then you should contact the undersigned in the first instance. 

Should you remain dissatisfied, then you may apply for an internal review

by contacting the Director of Information Exploitation, 6th Floor, MOD

Main Building, Whitehall, SW1A 2HB.

If you are still unhappy following an internal review, you may take your

complaint to the Information Commissioner under the provisions of

Section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act.  Please note that the

Information Commissioner will not investigate your case until the MOD

internal review process has been completed.  Further details of the role

and powers of the Information Commissioner can be found on the

Commissioner's website, http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk