UFO sightings above Britain more than doubled last year to nearly 300, defence chiefs revealed yesterday.

They included cigarshaped craft, a spaceship with green, red and white lights that hovered opposite Parliament for 90 minutes and a big alien craft that landed on a man's house before flying off over Bristol.

In 2007 there were a mere 135 sightings above Britain.

Only last month Ufologists were agog when a wind turbine blade was smashed in Lincolnshire amid reports of lights in the night sky.

Last February the Ministry of Defence recorded 30 UFO sightings in West Yorkshire.

Also, a triangular craft with lights on each corner hovered at aircraft-height above Slough. And a fast green object was seen in May above the M6 in the West Midlands.

A UFO spotted over Tonbridge in Kent flew around in circles with "strange flashing lights and making a noise like an industrial train".

On New Year's Eve last year an Essex police officer reported: "A bright orangeyellow light in the sky.

"Quite large, 1,500-2,000ft up. Moved very slowly in a half-circle, then stopped over the water between Brightlingsea and East Mersea. Shot straight up and disappeared very fast."

A witness said the spaceship opposite the Commons "was static in the sky for an hour-and-a half".