Is the "Matlock Flap" now over btw?
The quick answer is no.
Since September 2000 there have been a constant stream of sightings from the Matlock area.
Latest Sighting:
May 02 2002 - UFO spotted at 3am in Bonsall
Radio ham Ron Gaunt had lots to chat about as he sat on top of Bonsall Moor.
But his teeth were soon chattering as a bright blue light shone down on his Ford Focus.
Instead of family facts, he blurted over the airwaves: "Blooming heck".
Sheep were startled as the eerie light bathed the hilltop for nearly two minutes just before 3am.
And science backed up 71-year-old Ron´s close encounter of the azured kind.
While the lights shone, there was interference on the radio waves. It was even picked up by his radio friend Barbara Whyman 40 miles away in Sheffield. She said: "He blurted out ´blooming heck´ and described what happened. Then asked if I had a fault on my radio equipment.
"I thought my plug must have worked loose but it was fine. Ron was upset by the incident and he is certainly a sensible man, not the sort to have wild fantasies," said Mrs Whyman.
Ron was so shaken that he decided to leave the moor a few minutes later, rather than transmit until dawn as he usually does.
"It left me feeling rather dizzy and I had enough", said Ron, who lives in Darley Dale and learned his radio skills in the army.
"It was a very clear and frosty night and suddenly it was like broad daylight."
After the alert, his equipment passed a detailed check.
Twice a week, Ron drives onto the moor to get a clear signal as he talks to fellow radio enthusiasts across Britain.
He passed on details to Derbyshire police, who say their helicopter was not in the area at the time of the incident on April 7.
The moor is crossed by power cables but East Midlands Electricity said no problems had been logged.
A spokesman said: "It is a complete mystery as far as we are concerned. If a squirrel jumps onto an installation there may be a blue flash but that would not last for so long."
Police say there were no other reports of blue lights on the moor, a scene of UFO hunts by local people. By Rod Malcolm - Matlock Mercury - 02.05.02