How students' alien hoax fooled UK govt

London: British authorities were fooled by a group of engineering students who managed to spark fears of a real alien invasion against the country in 1967, according to newly released secret UFO files. The police, armed forces and intelligence services were mobilised following the "very successful" practical joke made during a student rag week, said the files released by The National Archives.

They revealed how the authorities, including four local forces and a bomb disposal unit, swung into action after calls from the public that six UFOs were found in a perfect line across southern England, the Telegraph reported.

"But fears of a real 'war of the worlds' incident petered out after examination of the 'spacecraft' showed that it was an elaborate rag week hoax by engineering students," said the newspaper. The story emerged as part of the largest ever release of UFO files, which also revealed a number of military sightings of UFOs, a claimed "alien abduction" in London and an unidentified aircraft shadowing a Lancaster bomber.
source:agency
Tags:UFO files,Lancaster bomber