London, Feb 8 (ANI): There has been an increase in the number of UFO sightings across the UK over the last year, according to the nations Ministry of Defence (MOD).

The number of UFO sightings in 2007 was 135 - up from 97 the previous year - and they included clusters of as many as 100 mysterious objects, bright white lights and strange, triangular shaped objects.

The MOD last year released for the first time details of UFO sighting reports, including an archive back to 1998.

Previous policy called for details of such classified reports to be kept secret for 30 years.

One report from Duxford, Cambridgeshire, described 50 objects - each equipped with an orange light - gathering in the sky on April 12 and then ascending.

Two pilots flying separate planes above Alderney in the Channel Islands reported a sighting on April 23 - a bright orange craft, followed by another, identical object.

Another report in October, from Portsmouth, Hants, described watching an oval/spherical shaped object approaching an aircraft, and appeared to accelerate very fast, and then wobbled from side to side.

Hilary Porter of the British Earth and Aerial Mysteries Society (BEAMS) said that there has been an absolutely enormous rise in the number of UFO sightings.

“There has been a huge influx of UFOs. Absolutely enormous. There has been these huge formations than have been coming, the Telegraph quoted Porter, as saying.

“We have had so many calls from people that have seen these huge formations. We have had call after call after call, from business people right down to ordinary folk in their cars.

There have been some very close encounters that have been quite unnerving for the people involved. We have had other people reporting orb sightings,” she added. (ANI)