Southport UFO
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A UFO spotted over West Lancashire could feature on an American Sci-Fi programme after experts denied the photograph was a fake.

Pat Regan, 51, of Sandbrook Road, snapped the oval object during the stormy weather last weekend and has since been hounded by international press.

He said: "I took a simple picture of a very unusual natural phenomena and inadvertently snapped a UFO at the same time. The worldwide media interest has been incredible, with the story cropping up in many countries. I am just gobsmacked by it all!"

The mysterious sighting could now be investigated on sci-fi programme "UFO Hunters" for The History Channel after it was analysed by a graphics expert known as Allen Rogers.

He said: "This is definitely something that was caught by the camera, as the pixelation surrounding the object matches perfectly with the surrounding pixelation. The lighting is correct, which apparently shows a shadow underneath the object, so I would immediately rule out someone playing tricks with Photoshop.

"This one appears to be a metal type object, in my opinion, copper in colour, goldish perhaps. When you zoom into it, you can notice a distinct whitish contrail-type of thing, but not entirely sure of what it might be.

"There appears to be some sort of white trail behind the image leading towards the bottom left of the image.

"If this trail was going from right to left, appearing and emanating from the left side of the object, it would indicate that this object is moving towards the right, but I think it's actually moving towards the tornado, and not away from it. This is kind of strange, since the whitish trail actually seems to emanate directly from under the entire object and stretching slightly to the bottom left."

Leading UFO authority Nick Pope, formerly of the Government's UFO project at the Ministry of Defence, also analysed the image.

He said: "I have seen similar images before, but as I've left the MoD I no longer have access to the specialist equipment and experts that might help solve the mystery."

Mr Rogers offered an explanation for the object. He said: "I hate to say or even suggest this, since the source sounds legitimate, but, this could also be a movement blur from an object being thrown towards the tornado, and then someone snapping a picture of it.

"The object being copper in colour could mean it was a coin of some sort or possibly a stone or rock. I know it's really hard to say for sure what this object is. Is it a UFO? well I would have to say yes - it is unidentified, it is flying and it is an object.

"Is it ET visitors checking out a nearby weather event? I'm not sure about that one. If I was to keep my suggestion terrestrial, I would say it's some sort of coin, metallic, or smooth stone-type object being thrown towards the tornado then someone shooting a picture.

"Or even someone shooting the picture and by chance this object was caught as someone was throwing something towards the tornado, which could also be the answer here."

Writer, Mr Regan, who also runs child-care facilities in Formby, said: "People have said to me that is a wonderful UFO shot and one of the best they have ever seenn yet this was pure coincidence.

"I am just a local Pagan author who was out at the time fishing with my daughter in the countryside and now I have become the centre of a substantial UFO axis."

A UFO was captured on camera as a Southport nature enthusiast snapped away at Sunday's twister.

Father-of-four Pat Regan, 51, of Sandbrook Road, was shocked when he looked at his pictures and noticed the unidentified object to the left of the funnel cloud. Mr Regan, who runs child care facilities in Formby, was fishing in Rufford Canal with his seven-year-old daughter Jasmine when the twister started.

He said: "I was clinging to a railway bridge holding my camera. I thought the object might have been a police helicopter but when it's close up , it doesn't look like one. I'm sceptical about these things but open minded. It's an oval shape and I would like to know what it is."