Was it a bird? Was it a plane? Or was it a ned with a fancy torch?

Not according to two separate witnesses who insist they saw strange lights in the Kilmarnock skies at the weekend.

On Saturday night at around 10.40pm in Kilmarnock town centre, a 32-year-old mum, who asked not to be named for fear of ridicule, noticed a bright light hovering in the trees behind her house.

She went out to investigate and was stunned at what she saw.

She said: "I got a wee bit of a fright because at first I just assumed it was a plane or a police helicopter.

"But when I went out into the garden, it wasn't making a sound and it was closer than I had realised.

"It was an orange and yellow colour and was about 40 foot off the ground. It was like the middle of it was a ball of fire.

"It started coming down very slowly and when it got near the ground it moved left, then right before rising again and disappearing over the houses.

"My husband was at work and my child was asleep upstairs and I was a bit unnerved by it so I phoned my mum immediately. It was very strange and it's the first time in my life I've ever experienced anything like this."

Just 24 hours earlier on Friday night, a second witness saw what they described as a UFO in the skies over the New Farm Loch junction on the M77.

Mark Roberts of the Scottish Ufological Research Association (SURA) told the Standard: "At approximately 10pm a reliable witness reported to have seen a luminous white light fly from east to west either across the top or just behind of Kilmarnock.

"The witness was driving from Ayr to Kilmarnock via the motorway and cut off at New Farm Loch junction and drove along the back road towards Galston to try and get closer to the object.

"The object suddenly disappeared and was not to be seen. The sighting last for around one or two minutes.

"There is unfortunately no photo or video due to the fact the witness was driving."

SURA reports that there was a similar incident reported in Kilmarnock last year and they are looking for anyone else who may have seen anything similar to let them know by sending them an e-mail on sura_intel@hotmail.co.uk