French police from the Isle of Oleron off the coast of France near Bordeaux were called upon to investigate a mass UFO sighting that happened on New Year's Eve.

At least three independent witnesses have been interviewed by the police, and Lieutenant Bourdajeau has said that the testimonies of these witnesses are consistent.

One of the witnesses was Jean Louis Fesseau, who explained that he had "spent thirty five years at sea" so he knew what a flare or a helicopter looked like and that what he had seen was neither.

The UFO was described as having been red and yellow. It stayed stationary for 12 seconds and then disappeared, and was estimated to have been about 600 metres away from the coast and was at a height of about 300 metres in the air.

GEIPAN, which is France's official UFO investigative body, are being given the police report for further studies into the matter.