A Whitchurch author has seen "zooming" lights in the sky over the River Thames and she wants to know what they are.

The woman, whose pen name is Debra Louise Reynolds, prefers not to use her real name as "people will probably think I'm a nutter".

However she and her 18-year-old daughter have seen the lights about 10 times in the last year.

She first saw them about a year ago at around 5.30am when she was crossing Whitchurch-on-Thames toll bridge walking her dog.

The lights were high in the sky above the meadow to her left as she walked over the bridge towards Pangbourne.

She said they were red and white and pulsated.

"They then darted very fast over the horses' field and stopped there until eventually disappearing," she said. "It was a very awe-inspired moment."

She said her daughter had also seen the lights but had found them frightening.

She said at first when she mentioned them to people in the village, they looked at her as though she was mad.

But more recently she did hear someone talking about them in a village shop.

Ms Reynolds, 43, added: "I don't suppose they are UFOs although they are unidentified. I would just like to know what they are."

She went on: "Someone must know what they are. These things get hushed up, don't they?"

When asked if she thought they might be people using laser pens to light the sky, she said: "There was no-one about. I am sure I would have seen someone if they were doing that."

Ms Reynolds has written a book called Cruel Town which was published in 2010.

She said: "Everyone keeps schtum about this kind of thing because they don't want people to make fun of them.

"But we have seen them so often, there must be an explanation and I would love to know what it is.

"If there is anyone out there who knows I really would love to hear, especially as my daughter is getting a bit scared of them now."