The British UFO Files

While the American Government's alleged knowledge of discoveries of UFO's has long been known, The British UFO Files reveals for the first time the secret history of alien aircraft investigations led by the most powerful forces within the British establishment.

The programme explores hitherto secret departments within the Ministry of Defence as well as controversial claims made by those working within the government and military that the British government has long known about the existence of extra-terrestrial visitors.

Despite consistent public denial of the existence of 'flying saucers' by the MOD, it has always as a matter of course investigated sightings, ever since pilots during the First World War reported strange 'aerial phenomena'. Winston Churchill himself ordered investigations by the Admiralty in 1929 into such disturbances.

Indeed, the British government began to formally study UFO sightings in 1950 following changes in public opinion fuelled by flying saucer fictional stories serialised in British newspapers and magazines.

The popular belief that UFO's were alien visitors was reflected in official policy, with UFO authors such as Desmond Leslie making presentations about 'flying saucers' to top ranking armed forces personnel in 1954.

During the Cold War, politics became embroiled in the UFO debate with 'ghost missiles' and other UFO's tracked on British radar being blamed on a communist plot to disrupt the country's defence systems.

However, with the end of the Cold War, improvements in radar technology made 'ghost' signals less common. Yet sightings continued to occur with alarming frequency.

The film reveals how respected figures such as Lord Dowding and Lord Mountbatten were caught up in the 'saucer' craze, persuading heads of media to bring flying saucer 'facts' to the attention of the public.

A whole range of incidents contained within the file are illustrated throughout the film; from the mysterious apparent landing of a space craft at an airbase in Shropshire accompanied by compelling eye witness accounts, to remarkable footage recorded by a naval cameraman of a UFO skimming across the North Sea.

The most notable recent 'inside' proponent of the 'Extra-Terrestrial Hypothesis' is Nick Pope who served as Higher Executive officer of the MOD's 'UFO desk' from 1985-2000. He remarks that. "…. While the majority of sightings were dismissed or explained a proportion of over ten percent left cause for confusion and concern that were [on occasion] relayed to the Prime minister and Chief of NATO."

For the first time, The British UFO Files reveals a catalogue of unexplained, unearthly phenomenon, more bizarre than anything to be found within the pages of even the X Files.