THERE were two reported sightings of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) in Dorset last year.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request to Dorset Police reveals that two UFOs were spotted in the county in 2023 and reported to the force.

The first sighting took place on February 7, 2023, at 7.59pm at an address in Littlemoor, Weymouth.

The caller wished to report that whilst she was outside having a cigarette, she noticed three orange lights in the sky above a nearby home.

A spokesperson for Dorset Police said that the ‘suspicious incident’ reported was ‘a possible drone sighting.’

As no offence was reported, no further police action was required.

Two months later, on April 6 at 11.20pm, a caller in the village of Thorncombe was taking her dog out for his ‘nightly wee’ when she ‘saw a bright light in the sky.’

Shortly after, the woman heard what she thought was a gunshot in the distance.

The spokesperson for Dorset Police again called the incident ‘suspicious’ and said it was reported as a ‘possible drone sighting.’

The spokesperson added: “No known offences were committed and therefore no further police action was required. The member of the public was thanked by officers for her due diligence and encouraged to continue to report any suspicious activity to police.”

There were reports of lights in the sky reported in the Dorset Echo late last year, but this turned out to be Elon Musk’s Starlink space satellite

A spokesman for Dorset Police said the FOI request was fulfilled by downloading incidents from January 1 to December 4 2023, using a keyword search on those listed.

Results were then reviewed to eliminate those which are not relevant, such as vehicle registration number and excluded incidents involving individuals with mental health issues.  

A Dorset Police spokesperson explains: “When responding to calls of this nature, officers’ first priority is to establish if the calls are genuine.

“For example, if there were a large number of calls in relation to an unidentified object in the sky, tactical consideration would be given to contact Air Traffic Control.

“On some occasions, it may be deemed necessary to make further contact with the informant for safeguarding reasons.

“If the call is deemed not genuine and there are no wider concerns, no further police action would be taken."

If you have seen a UFO or unexplainable phenomenon in Dorset, contact Alfie.lumb@newsquest.co.uk