A mother and daughter have been trying to gain an explanation for "strange lights" in the sky over Dumfries as they returned home.

Debbie and Imogen Easton were heading home with a takeaway meal on Glasgow Street when they saw a set of lights.

They spotted further bright objects in the sky near the town's Ice Bowl.

A spokesman for Dumfries Astronomical Society said the description was "highly unusual" but may have been caused by a satellite or fighter jet.

It is the third such report of unusual lights in the region so far this year.

Earlier this month a similar incident was reported by a woman in Tinwald village and in January there were calls to police from people reporting a "fireball" in the sky over Dumfries.

That was later attributed to Comet McNaught.

Mrs Easton said she had just picked up her Indian meal at about 2000 GMT when she spotted what she described as an unusual glow in the sky.

"It was like two big orange balls of light - bright orange - just coming towards us," she said.

"I said to my daughter let's just watch them and see what happens.

"I was actually hoping they would come right over so we could see what they were."

Fizzled out

However, she said the lights disappeared before they could get a closer look.

"They came towards us slowly and just very slowly fizzled out together at the same time," said Mrs Easton.

"I thought, gosh, what was that? That was strange.

"We drove off just as another one came from the same direction - by this time we were round at the Ice Bowl."

The pair said they stopped and got out of their car as yet another light appeared.

"They all just fizzled out at the same time, at the same point," she said.

"It was an unidentified flying object - because I don't know what it was."

Mrs Easton said her daughter was more scared by the experience.

"My daughter said I'm getting back into the car - am I going to be abducted by aliens? Is it going to be the end of the world?" said Mrs Easton.

"I said 'I don't think so' - but it was strange."

'Iridium satellites'

Mark Toner, president of Dumfries Astronomical Society, said the incident was certainly unusual.

"It doesn't sound like anything astronomical," he said.

"There are things called Iridium satellites - they are quite low and tend to reflect the sun very brightly.

"One of those can catch the light and it looks like a searchlight has been turned on."

However, he said the light was usually white and it was not common to spot more than one at a time.

Mr Toner said another explanation might have been the glow of engines of a fighter jet in the distance which had then banked away.