We are no strangers to flashing lights around Diss as we lie in the flightpath of USAF fighters and bombers from Mildenhall and Lakenheath using the Lotus factory at Hethel as 'target practice'.

During the preparations for the Queen's birthday flypast, if you looked at the airspace over south Norfolk and north Suffolk you'd have been forgiven for thinking that Bush and Brown had given the green light to attack Iran.

But what of the mysterious beam of light whipping across the skies over Garboldisham and East Harling as reported in the Diss Express.

Have the seemingly endless black clouds smothering the summer been harbouring something more sinister than the typical British weather? I doubt it.

They are hardly going to say: "Hey Gort let's check whether the batteries work on this astro-torch?"

Like anyone else who has been weaned on the likes of HG Wells, Star Wars and Doctor Who, we all know visitors from another planet will either be bug-eyed cuties like ET doing a spot of gardening or rabid pepperpots who destroy the solar system first and chat later.

Sceptical, yes I most certainly am. We all love a mystery whether it's ghosts, yetis and another favourite around these parts... big cats.

However, until someone delivers hard evidence and not just a blurred picture of someone flashing a light across a misty sky or some joker running about in a cat suit – I'll only believe it when I see it.

Until then I'll continue chuckling at the stories of Martians running amok and be scared silly by tales of headless monks popping into their local for a pint of mead.

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