London, Dec 4 (ANI): The Ministry of Defence department that investigated UFO sightings over Britain for 50 years has been secretly closed, according to reports.

The MoD department was used to assess threats posed by any Unidentified Flying Objects sightings throughout Britain.

Any reports made would now not be investigated or followed up as the hotline had secretly been axed.

UFO experts expressed anger at the decision, reports the Sun.

Nick Pope, who worked with the MoD for 21 years investigating the phenomenon, stormed: “This is outrageous.

“UFO sightings are at an all time high. There has been no announcement in Parliament and no public consultation.”

Top brass buried the December 1 closure of the 50,000-pounds-a-year department on the official MoD website. Chiefs branded it an “inappropriate use of defence resources”.

The MoD said: “In over 50 years, no UFO report has revealed any evidence of a potential threat to the UK.”

The move comes a year after the team was moved from the MoD’s Whitehall HQ to RAF Air Command in High Wycombe, Bucks.

It has dealt with more than 12,000 reports since the 1950s. Last year there were 135.

Pope warned mystery objects in our skies may not all be the result of little green men.

“We’re leaving ourselves wide open to terrorist attack,” he said. (ANI)