Paranormal investigators Mulder and Scully might have to make a trip to the region after mysterious balls of light and strange tints were spotted in North Lincolnshire's skies.

Residents in the region have certainly been trying to open up the X-Files after two separate reports of UFO sightings were made to the Scunthorpe Telegraph.

Lesley Whittingham (71), from Jerusalem Cottages, Alkborough, described seeing bright orange and yellow tints in the air at around 1.30pm on Saturday.

"It looked like a giant explosion in the sky and I was really surprised," she said.

Mrs Whittingham watched from her upstairs window with her husband Frank (78) as the stationary object was seen for five minutes before mysteriously disappearing.

"I saw my next-door neighbour and pointed it out, but by that time it was fading," she added.

After grabbing her camera to catch the phenomenon on film, Mrs Whittingham said she showed the pictures to her friends who were also stumped as to what it could be.

"It's my first UFO sighting but it reminds me of planes hitting in wartime," she added.

And Mrs Whittingham was not the only spooked resident this new year.