Three unexplained bright flashes in the night sky have left a Belper couple spooked - now they want to know if anyone else witnessed the events.

Tricia and John Booth, of William Street, were left shocked and puzzled after they were woken up by their phone loudly resetting itself, at 1.45am, on Saturday, December 20. Then when they looked up through their bedroom skylight they saw three bright flashes.

The couple are struggling to explain the flashes, which occurred about 20 seconds apart, and the phone resetting itself as none of their neighbours had any similar experiences.

Mrs Booth said: "There was no rain, no sound of thunder, nothing except these bright flashes that came on and off like light switches. We can't stop thinking about it. Maybe it was a thunderstorm, but why did nothing else in the house reset itself, like the microwave or the video?

"It could have been fireworks, but it was too late at night I think, and the all-over flash was unlike a firework. It looked fairly like sheet lightning, only there was no noise at all, no rain and not much cloud. It could possibly even have been a police helicopter with searchlights, but they make a lot of noise overhead.

"I wish I knew somebody who saw this, but, of course, most people were not only asleep, behind curtains, but they had no reason to wake up since their was no noise.

"I'm hoping somebody who was out in town late, either after a night out, or working, or a policeman, noticed it."

The couple have been asking around since it happened, but have not yet found anyone who saw the flashes.

They are now appealing for anyone who saw the flashes to come forward to see if they can explain them.

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