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© UnknownMorpeth Station
It was just after 7pm on Tuesday, January 18, 1977, when houses were shaken over a wide area of Northumberland by a mystery object. The effect was felt as far apart as Stakeford, North Seaton, Morpeth, Ulgham and Whalton.

People described how their homes were shaken violently, with doors banging and windows rattling. The noise was compared to thunder by some, while others said it sounded like snow falling off the roof, but there was no snow on the roof.

Others said the noise sounded like bricks being dumped outside the house. A policeman who lived near Morpeth Railway Station thought there had been a train crash when he heard the noise.

However, a group of youngsters playing in the street at the police houses at the Kylins, Morpeth, saw a mystery flying object glowing in the sky. It was said to be a bright yellow ball and when it went bang, it went over the area quite quickly.

As it sped off there a bright trail was seen behind it, but it was not like an aircraft condensation trail. The children in the area were so frightened, they ran into their homes to let their parents know of the sighting.

Adults and children from other areas also saw the mystery object. One man went out to look and saw what he thought was a large helicopter south west of Morpeth.

The object was lit up by a yellow light and from where he was watching it appeared to be hovering.

The authorities looked into the matter and contacted the RAF, at its early warning station at Boulmer, and Newcastle Airport, but neither had picked up anything to account for the mystery object.

In June 1974 three Morpeth boys saw a mysterious light in the sky and also heard a strange noise.

They heard a high-pitched noise from the direction of Morpeth Common as they walked up Swansfield, on the Kirkhill Estate. Then they saw a bright light which started to move. On that occasion the light moved over the Whalton Road and then south.

From time to time people in different parts of Northumberland have seen unexplained lights in the sky. Astronomer Patrick Moore went on record to say that mysterious objects could be meteorites. He said they are heavenly bodies which burn away as they pass through the upper layers of the earth's atmosphere.