26/04/2009 - Netherton, Dudley - Unidentified Lights Sighting

Birmingham UFO Group Case Report

Author: Dave Hodrien

Release Date: 17/02/2013

Note: For reasons of anonymity pseudonyms have been used

Sighting Details

It was around 11pm on 26th April 2009. Steve, who was 33 at the time, was on his way back home and walking along Baptist End Road. It was a dry, clear and relatively still evening. He glanced to his left across an area of allotment plots to the East , which afforded him a brief unobstructed view of the night sky.

Aerial map of Baptist End Road showing the sighting location:

It was now that he noticed a yellow light in the distance with smaller red pulsing lights close to it. It appeared to be at low altitude, between 50-100 metres in the air. Steve estimates it was about 500-600 metres from his location. At this point the main yellow light was bright enough to draw attention, but could easily have been dismissed as a helicopter. All the lights were moving very slowly to the North.

Witness drawing showing the surroundings and position of the lights:

Photograph of the sighting location:

A moment later a couple of teenagers on bikes came out of a nearby alleyway. They paid no notice of Steve, but looking in the direction of the lights one of them asked the other “Is that it again?” His curiosity heightened, Steve looked back at the lights. At this moment the yellow light flared up extremely brightly and appeared to triple in size, although this could have been due to the brightness. It was like a glowing yellow street lamp in the sky. The two teenagers said to Steve that they had seen it over the local reservoir and that it had split into two lights which headed off in separate directions. They sounded sincere and did not appear to be joking.

Aerial map showing the sighting location (A) and the reservoir (B):

Steve decided to run back home to get his father so he too could see the object. As he ran, he tried to keep track of the lights in the sky, although they were largely obscured from view by buildings. About five minutes later he met up with his father who was out walking the dog. The lights were now a bit closer, perhaps 100 metres closer than they had initially been. It could now be seen a little clearer, and looked like a bright yellow light, with a red orb-like light behind it and a small red flashing light. The lights appeared to be connected to a single object which could not be seen due to the night sky. Going on the estimated distance, this object appeared to be about twice the size of a helicopter. It was completely silent.