And while the story kept many intrigued for weeks, one man from Long Stratton has dedicated almost all his adult life to UFOs and set up a group this summer that looks a little deeper into this mysterious world.

Phil Mitchell said UFOREA, which stands for UFO Research East Anglia, is a serious group, with a primary focus on researching and collecting information on the subject.

"We are not a group who are away with the fairies – we look at all other possibilities before we commit to a conclusion of something unexplained," he said.

The group's founders also include researcher Ray Curtis and astrologer Mark Sheppard.

"I decided that I wanted to get a group of people together who were interested in the same subjects as me," said Mr Mitchell, 35.

The group has grown to 25 members, meeting each month in Norwich and includes mediums from Lowestoft, as well as Ann Andrews, who has written a widely available book about her son being abducted by aliens.

Mrs Andrews has given a talk at the monthly meetings about her son Jason, who she describes as an "indigo child" who has been abducted by aliens several times since birth.

David Spoor, who filmed UFOs over Lowestoft, which was covered extensively in the media, has also been at one of the meetings, showing previously unreleased footage.

Although this sounds rather far fetched, Mr Mitchell is at pains to say the group welcomes logical explanations for sightings, stating it: "adds to our creditability."

He added: "You do get the loonies, which is unfortunate. A common mistake for example is to mistake Venus for a UFO."

"I have worked very hard to get a group that is grounded and membership is by invitation only."

Mr Mitchell has been researching UFOs since he was 16 but by day runs a cleaning company from his Long Stratton home and has a wife Becky, and five-month-old son, Oliver

This summer has brought a particularly prolific amount of sightings, and he commented that lights spotted over Kenninghall, Garboldisham, Bressingham and East Harling in July were not a surprise.

He added: "There have been a lot of sightings over the UK and there's been a handful over south Norfolk. It has been what we call a UFO wave."

Mr Mitchell attacked the media for its coverage of sightings.

"If the media looked at it more seriously, which it has never done, then maybe we would all sit up and take notice.," he said.

"I'm convinced I've seen things that can't be easily explained away.

"When you have intelligence that is so far in advance from ours, the question of how they got here from millions of miles away doesn't really answer the question, because it is from our own point of view.

"In central and Southern America it is a lot more open.