CGI images of the UFO commissioned by Colin (Image: Colin Saunders)
It was 20 years ago, but Colin Saunders can recall every detail of the experience as if it was yesterday. The 60-year-old, from Barwell, saw something that he will never forget.
He spoke to Leicestershire Live about his experience after we published a video of a bright UFO moving about in the sky over the city and part of the county.
Here is his story, and those of two other people who believe they have seen something extraterrestrial.
"It was the 31st of March, 1999," said Colin.
"We had been out for a bar meal in Warwickshire to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday.
"At approximately 9.30pm, myself, my ex-wife, daughter and mother-in-law headed home.
"We turned onto the Fosse Way, near the village of Monks Kirby, and immediately noticed some bright lights ahead of us.
"The lights were half a mile away and just off the road to the left. The lights appeared deep red, with a bit of white mingled in.
"We drove down, parallel to the lights. We had slowed right down at this point.
"I stared at the four lights, which were in a row, but not level with the ground.
"It was at this moment that I noticed a fifth, smaller, spurious light off to the left hand side.
'It tilted slowly upwards like an airship'
"I stared into the end light, and could see a criss cross of lines, a bit like a traffic light lens. It seemed to pulse very rapidly.
"As I was looking at this light and the lights in general, a shape started to appear around them. The edges looked like the sky was rippling, but they, and the body, I believe, were transparent at that time.
"I could see the shape of a diamond around the lights.
"As soon as I had realised there was an object there, it tilted slowly upwards like an airship or a submarine. The object was now solid and fully materialised in a triangular shape.
"The tilt was not from the centre of the craft but from the rear. It was so low that if it had pivoted from the centre of the craft it would have struck the ground.
"I noticed the surface looked to be alive, it was like a lake of dark grey liquid similar to mercury. The liquid, although tilted quite steeply, looked as though it had waves running up and down the surface, like ripples on a lake in a breeze.
"On top of this 'lake' were silver lines running up and down the surface. They were like raised box sections, which interlocked like an old fashioned maze.
"I could see how the craft's top and bottom surfaces joined to a lighter central core, like a sandwich. No nuts and bolts, rivets or welding seams visible.
"It was immediately obvious to me that this was not an earthly object."
CGI images of the UFO commissioned by Colin
(Image: Colin Saunders)
At this point, said Colin, who is a former aircraft designer, having been employed by Saab Aerospace in the military in Sweden, and Chevron Petroleum in New Zealand, the driver of the car pulled forward so she could reverse into a gateway off the main road.
As she pulled forward, a large hedge momentarily blocked the view of the craft. When they could once more see the spot where it the UFO had been, it had disappeared.
"We got out of the car and it was gone."
Of the object they had seen, Colin said: "We could see a large craft in the distance with strange red lights at the rear. It seemed enormous to me with a huge wingspan.
"At the end of each wing was a steady white light shining up along the top surface.
"It was very, very quiet as we stood there, no smells of any fuel having been burnt.
"During the incident we didn't hear a single noise from the craft, which was the size of a house, hovering by the car."
Since his experience, which Colin described "like meeting God" and "life changing", he has devoted much of his time researching what he saw.
Colin was 40 when it happened. He immediately went home and starting building a model of the craft he believes he saw, which he completed in 2000. He has also had a 3D printed model made of the craft, and commissioned computer-generated imagery to enable him to show at his presentations.
Colin, now aged 60, said: "The years since the encounter have been very interesting for me.
"I have given several presentations to different groups, as well as appearing on television a couple of times with my model.
"The result of this is that many people have come forward to tell me of their own experiences."
Although his story will sound hard to believe to many of us, Colin is not alone.
'I understand this sounds very weird'
In 2014, a man who lives in Earl Shilton had a similar experience in his back garden.
"I was out in the back garden having a cigarette - when I smoked - in the summer of 2014.
"It was late as it was dark. I don't remember exactly the time and date as I had put it to the back of my mind.
"I usually look up to the stars during clear nights as it's a very nice sight. When I did, I saw a 'fluid' looking triangular craft coming from the west over Earl Shilton.
"I understand this sounds very weird hence I've not talked about it before.
"I don't think I would have noticed it if it had been at a different angle as it was 'cloaked'. I could see stars as if I was looking straight through it, but I could clearly see the triangular shape of the craft and I still remember thinking to myself that it wasn't a very good cloaking device.
"It was moving very slowly and very low with no sound and no lights whatsoever, but it was huge - the size of a football pitch.
"As it got closer visibility got worse - I'm guessing it's all about the angle of view - then I could no longer see it at all. I managed to see what I assume would be the front right side as it was approaching, then the underneath.
"It was all smooth or fluid with no sharp edges with no markings that I could see."
CGI images of the UFO commissioned by Colin
(Image: Colin Saunders)
Another person, who did not want to be named, said: "I have also seen triangular objects moving silently across the sky very low.
"On February 3, 2016, at 17.37, I was travelling from Stoney Stanton towards Earl Shilton. The lights seemed to be heading from Desford way, and following the Earl Shilton bypass across to Barwell.
"I wound down my window as it crossed overhead.
"The lights were very bright. I quite often stargaze and these lights stood out immediately. There didn't appear to be any other lights on it, just the three white lights in a triangle shape.
"They did not flash. The lights were around the size of helicopter’s search lights.
"I would say the height of it when it passed overhead was around 300-400 metres high. I couldn't make out the size of the craft as the street lights made it difficult.
"However, with the distance between the two rear lights and the front light, I would say it was the size of an articulated lorry and more of an isosceles triangle rather than equilateral. There was no sound as it passed over at approx 30mph."
