A Spalding family is appealing for help to identify mystery orange lights.

Simon Wass, his mum and stepfather were at Simon's mum's home in the Wygate Park area when they saw two orange lights in the sky at 8.50pm on Saturday.

Mr Wass said: "They rapidly grew in size as though approaching at great speed then slowed and turned to the right.

"All three of us followed them, looking through the windows and then to the front door. We were expecting to hear sound from the engines of an aircraft but there was no sound, just two large, bright orange lights moving from left to right.

"As we watched they seemed to either quickly decrease in size or accelerate away from us at speed."

The lights were visible for around 30 seconds and left the family mystified.

Mr Wass said: "I am fairly familiar with many different types of aircraft but military ones don't use orange lights.

"Extra-terrestrial was the only thing we could think of. It was completely silent, which was the eerie thing. I would be interested to know if anyone else saw them."

The number of UFO sightings in Lincolnshire has risen, according to latest figures released by the Ministry of Defence.

Last year the MoD received reports of eight extra-terrestrial sightings in the county compared to five in 2007 and two in 2006.

Among them was a sighting in Kirton at 4.50pm on November 14 when 12 lights were seen in the sky, which started to fade.

Two more brighter lights then appeared and went towards the first ones.

The Lincolnshire Free Press and Spalding Guardian received several calls last year about strange lights in the sky with some see around Christmas time, which were thought to be Chinese lanterns.

Did you see the lights or do you know what they were? Write to the editor or e-mail nick.woodhead@ jpress.co.uk

Source: Lincolnshire Free Press