A RETIRED aviation enthusiast says he has never seen anything like an unidentified object which flew over his back garden.

Douglas Wragg has been watching the skies for more than 50 years and knows everything there is to know about aircraft and weather balloons.

But on a clear day in Petts Wood, he says he witnessed a cylinder-shaped flying object which was "nothing to do with aviation".

Mr Wragg, 71, asked his wife, Pamela, to verify he was not hallucinating after tracking the object through his binoculars.

Describing it as like "two rolls of carpet covered in black plastic", one on top of the other, he initially thought it was a kite but ruled that out when it climbed to about 20,000ft.

He said: "I know a lot about aircraft but I've never seen anything like this."

He contacted Biggin Hill airport to warn them because it appeared to be in the flight path.

Biggin Hill air traffic control did not spot the flying object and it did not appear on its radar system, which only operates for a limited radius around the airfield.

Mr Wragg has worked for several major firms such as American Airlines and Alitalia, and started his career at British European Airways in 1955.

l If you can explain the sighting at 2pm on Tuesday, August 12, call our newsdesk on 01689 885703 or text the Editor on 07781 482502 (standard network rates apply).

NO EARTHLY REASONS

WITH reports of mysterious happenings in the sky, News Shopper contacted Biggin Hill Airport to see if there could be an earthly explanation.

Airport director Peter Lonergan said: "We don't often get calls about UFOs, although we did have one on Saturday night. A lady left a message saying she had seen a bright light in the sky which was not moving but that is the first for a very long time.

"Quite often people mistake the police helicopter for a UFO because they hover with their lights on but not all queries can be solved so easily and I don't have any answers for this lady's sighting."