LUFOIN - Member Groups

Press Article, Leicester Mercury, November 2^nd., 1977.

THE ONLY unconvincing thing about Trevor Thornton’s research into unidentified flying objects is that his “operations room” is the front bedroom of a modest Leicester council house. Certainly, the suburban sameness of Ellesmere Road, Braunstone, is light years away from the terrestrial unknown. But Trevor’s level-headed and realistic approach to UFOs as guaranteed to bring down even the most sceptical down to earth with a bump. Trevor is 26 years old and works as a hosiery mechanic in a Leicester factory. In his spare time he’s chairman of a group who call themselves the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Research Organisation of Leicester, or UAPROL for short. Witnesses - “We have eighteen members including six investigators” explained Trevor. “We’re a mixed bunch in terms of jobs and backgrounds but we all share a fascination with the unknown in terms of UFOs.” And this is an interest shared with at least 36 other Leicestershire people who contacted Trevor’s group as sighting witnesses of an object seen flying over the county last Tuesday. “It’s the widest sighting we’ve ever had and it’s interesting that we’ve had everybody from lorry drivers and schoolchildren to barristers contacting us - Our preliminary investigation only shows a pattern of time and shape of the object - strangely many witnesses described it as banana -shaped.” Open mind - “Each sighting has been carefully logged but it will be months before the group investigators complete their research in the “big one”. (See Case: 51-77-35-55).

Trevor says the group have a completely open mind on UFOs. “Little is known about them, so an amateur group like ours is as qualified as anyone to investigate them - personally, I believe that there is life on other planets but how this relates to UFOs I don’t know, but anyone can recognise that science fiction is gradually becoming science fact - and that’s why our research is so interesting.” Trevor founded the group in June this year after investigating a particularly convincing sighting in Thurmaston. (See Case: 51/77/03). He’s encouraged by the generally interested response he gets when he’s out investigating. “I’ll sometimes go into a police station and the officer will deal with my inquiry about UFOs without batting an eyelid - my colleagues at work now accept what I’m doing is serious.”

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