Are we about to be invaded from outer space? Judging by stories in the national Press this week, UFO-mania is in vogue again.

And they are corroborated by a haunting tale about events in Carpenders Park in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

At about 1am, Peter Sharpe noticed a bright, piercing light at the window of his home in The Watergate. He looked out – and saw a steady blue beam of light about 50ft high.

There was no noise from the beam which then became paler and moved off over the Oxhey area.

“I tried to be rational about it,” said Peter, 27. “I thought it might have been lightning or flashes from the railway line.

“I even thought it might have been a helicopter checking out a route for Prince Charles. But this was a steady, bright beam – and it didn’t make a noise.”

Investigating the case, Sergeant Basnett, from Oxhey police station, said they were unable to offer any logical explanation.

“I am not a complete sceptic on this subject,” he said. “We had other reports of this and I accept there was a light in the sky. What it was, I don’t know.” 

[From the Watford Observer of February 28, 1978]

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