The following story appeared in the Daily Express (London), Monday, April 27, 1998:
RAF SPOTS SPEEDING UFOs WITH NEW RADAR
Britain's X-Files may be opened up amidst claims of stunning evidence that UFOs fly over Britain.
Tapes to be shown to British and American experts are said to show objects which change shape in mid-air and a battle-ship sized aircraft travelling at 33 times the speed of sound.
The details are due to be revealed in early June at a Space Symposium at the RAF Cranwell staff college.
A senior RAF source claims the mystery craft haqve been picked up by the latest Phased Array radar at the Cold War listenning post at Fylingdales in North Yorkshire.
One senior officer said: "What we have seen are not secret weapons. They are craft of which we have no technical knowledge. We know their shape, speeds and height but cannot explain what they are."
The most spectacular discovery is a craft spotted by Fylingdales and the Dutch Air Force over the North Sea. Described as "the size of a battleship", it zig-zagged at up to 24,000 mph for 15 minutes "as if it wanted to be spotted."
Another tape shows a group of 12 oval objects seemingly change shape, to the amazement of observers.
But the RAF is expected to withold some X-Files. It is feared they could reveal how sophisticated their new radars area.
A similar report appeared in the London Daily Mail for the same date, penned by that paper's Science Correspondent, and containing non-commital quotes from a Fortean Times spokesman.
On the surface the story looks impressive if true and would fit what we know about Fylingdales involvement in the UFO reporting system of which the MOD's AS2a appears to be the initial, and public stage.
However, it appears this particular story is a tissue of untruths, according to Press sources at the RAF and Ministry of Defence - but they would say that wouldn't they?
Yes, there is to be a conference at the Air Warfare Centre at RAF Cranwell in June, but this is to discuss possible future military strategies in outer space - not UFOs, or so the RAF Press Desk assures us.
No secret radar tapes showing UFOs are to be shown at this conference, as these do not exist (although we know from Ralph Knoys that gun camera film certainly does).
The RAF Press office are steadfastly denying all stories about craft as big as battleships and shape-changing UFOs and deny there are any radar traces showing objects of this kind.
They say the story originates not from a "secret RAF source" but actually from an ex-employee who left with "a chip on his shoulder" and has since gone to work for a number of Army related magazines producing wildly exaggerated stories about a variety of military subjects.
UFOs are apparently the latest in his list of exclusives - and he will certainly find a willing audience with the British press eager to feed believers, although the same Press last week decided not to run a story about the downfall of the Rendlesham Forest case.
I understand reporters from the Mail and Express rang the AS2 Press desk at the weekend to check the facts supplied by this character [whose name I have and am checking out] and were told none of the story was correct - but decided to run with it anyway.
But hey, we're here to entertain as well as to inform - or so my editor always tells me!
Perhaps the source of this story may go on to write a best selling book about his time at the MOD UFO desk...oops, hasn't that already been done by someone else?
David Clarke dclarke14@compuserve.com