Were they planes or hot-air balloons - or something else? No-one seems to know what was hovering menacingly above the skies of Birmingham.

Many people, including paramedics and police officers, reported sightings of spherical, orange mystery objects flying over Moseley and Kings Heath.

Wayne Dale, an engineer from Hawkhurst Road, Maypole, was walking with a friend when he saw unusual objects moving erratically across the sky.

Mr Dale, aged 46, said: "There were about six or seven, then another four or five and then an odd one or two in three separate waves.

"They were definitely not aeroplanes - they were a lot quicker and they were just so quiet. I was completely gobsmacked."

Pal Dave Parker, aged 44, of Denville Crescent, Bartley Green, tried to video the UFOs on his mobile phone, but the footage was inconclusive.

The warehouse worker said: "There was between five and 15 lights that went across the sky.

"They were different to planes because they made no noise. I could not explain what it was.

"I've always thought there's something else out there, but never seen anything like that before."

Several sightings of the objects were recorded at about 11pm on Friday, July 18, and were logged on ufo.com.

One Moseley home owner described seeing 13 "glowing orange globe-like things" from her back garden.

"They all moved at a constant speed, height and direction. They made no noise."

Craig Lowe, from the Birmingham UFO Group, says the Midlands has become a hotspot for sightings.

He said: "We have reports from three police officers and paramedics from that area of Birimingham who also witnessed strange lights and events."

The group hosts a lecture at The Midland Red Social Club, Wolverhampton Road South, Quinton, on Sunday. Philip Mantle, broadcaster, author and researcher of UFOs, is guest speaker.

Other suspect UFOs have been spotted in the sky above Birmingham.

Retired Allan James, aged 50, claims to have spotted several extra terrestrial craft over the Second City.

As a West Heath schoolboy, Mr James spotted one on his way to class and more recently, just before 9pm on Friday, June 20, he saw something mysterious in the clouds.

"I saw a trail. It was a silver thing, but it went into a cloud and never came out. I thought it was strange," said Mr James, of Turves Green, West Heath.

"It was following a plane which just went through the cloud, but the object never came out - it was like a long bubble. I was watching for ages.

"My wife, Dawn, was in the house. I told her I saw it."