The object observed near the A607, towards Melton Mowbray at 20:45 hours., occurred in the Wreake Valley over sewerage pits. The final sightings took place in the Wanlip area, between the A6 and the A46, again close to gravel and sewerage pits.

The events

At the corner of Sycamore Way, they observed a strange light over the field, “like a rocket” (quote). “The object then, rose, turned around and tilted towards us. It was shining bright lights out of something like lots of square windows. It looked quite dark in the middle of the top parts.” (quote). The two girls then walked to Lynda D’s home.

Julie G walked back along the same route almost immediately and saw that the object was now slanted towards her. As she walked further along the road, Julie observed the object’s passage over Cosby, she says “I saw the object then go up, slanting into the sky, jumping and jerking at first, then it went straight up.”

At about the same time, Mrs. Marilyn L and her Daughter, were driving along Fylinggates, towards the Wanlip Country Club, when they saw a huge, orange/red brilliant light on the left of the road (North).

The witnesses turned around and then back, but some cars were coming along so they proceeded along the road, observing the object all of the time.It appeared to rise from low ground and “as it rose higher into the sky, there was some rays from the object shining down.” The object was again compared to a “mushroom top” with its size described as very large. No sound could be heard coming from the object.

At 20:50 Hours, a husband and wife were in the same area, and saw a large, bright orange object in a northerly direction. This again was compared to the Sun but larger. “It was almost a full circle and flat across the bottom, with two purplish horizontal bands across it, about two thirds of the way down. It seemed odd that, although it was very bright, it had no aura surrounding it, and appeared not to give off any light itself”. As the witnesses continued along the road, the object seemed to be moving very slowly, “floating like a balloon.” It appeared as if there were buildings behind it, suggesting it was not on the horizon. The witnesses returned along the same route at about 23:30 Hours, and the object had gone.

A sighting above the Wanlip Sewerage Plant by Mr. Barrie T on the following day, (Nov. 27), may have been the same object, remaining in the vicinity. It was about 16:35 hours when Mr. Thomas spotted a bright disc travelling low in the sky between the A6 and A46 roads. The object was heading north along the Soar Valley slowly and steadily. It was described as very brilliant but hazy in outline.

The Wanlip and other Leicestershire sightings were, after long consideration, originally assumed to represent one, or possibly two, balloons, specifically of the hot-air type, seen during nocturnal conditions, thus giving the impression that the various witnesses were seeing apparently strange or unusual aerial phenomena. The shape, the apparent slow movement in the skies, the internal glow, together with the long duration of the sightings, all lead towards the assumption that the sightings were due to a balloon, or balloons. The Littlethorpe encounter seemed somewhat different however, but on consideration, after studying the reports, it could still be assumed that this event too, was due to a hot-air balloon, taking off from a grounded position. The hissing noise heard by the schoolgirls, can be suggested as sounds emanating from the gas cylinder burners being switched on for the provision of lift. A definite identification appears somewhat unlikely however, as although balloonists keep personal records of their flights, there is, as far as it been established, no requirement for such data to be logged with any official bodies such as the Civilian Aviation Authority, or the British Balloon and Airship Club.

Weather reports for the 26 and 27 November 1980 indicate that the wind was predominately north-westerly, at a ground speed of 10/16 m.p.h. These conditions would have seemingly enabled a balloon to have travelled in the direction described by the schoolgirls, I.e. in a general south-easterly direction, from Littlethorpe to Cosby. This would not explain however, how the balloon, if there was only one, managed to get from north Littlethorpe to Wanlip, unless it was transported by vehicle.

Unfortunately, none of the remaining reports give indications of exact flight direction, apart from the sighting of November 27^th., where the object seen was reported as moving north, apparently again, against the wind.

It was discovered that Osram wasn’t flying on either the 26^th., or the 27^th., of November 1980. Osram was the only balloon that was flown at night at that time, and no other balloon was active during the period in question. Also Osram flights were always made one hour before dawn, so the times are out too.

No reasonable explanation was forthcoming for the November 1980 sightings (in any of the areas mentioned), and they remain unexplained at the time of writing. It was suggested that the Littlethorpe sighting may have been a grounded balloon, but again, there is the problem of times, and the fact that it was sited close to a residential area, as well as a railway, the M1 motorway, and an A road.

CASE/COMPUTER REF: 51-80-39-44 - Associated Media Item:

BELOW: Same Date Global Reports, UFODNA Data, November 26, 1980.