NEIGHBOURS who were convinced a UFO had flown into Swindon airspace can relax – an explanation has been found.

People in Pinehurst had complained of seeing mystery shapes in the skies on Saturday night.

Andy Wood, from Keswick Road, Park South, contacted the Advertiser to set the record straight.

“It was me,” said Andy.

“We were having a party and we set off these sky lanterns. They were an absolutely beautiful sight.

“Seems like people have got a bit carried away about it.”

The 47-year-old father-of-two said the family had enjoyed hearing increasingly imaginative tales of extra-terrestrial activity buzzing around the Pinehurst community.

He said: “My sister-in-law went into a shop the next day and the shopkeeper was talking about some bloke who had chased these lights all the way to Coate Water – convinced they were UFOs.

“Then the next thing is it’s in the paper, on the radio – everyone’s talking about it.”

In yesterday’s Adver we featured eyewitness accounts of several residents who were mesmerised by the floating orbs of light.

They described how the lights formed an arrow shape, so were unlikely to be lanterns.

But Andy said: “We sent up about six in a row and they just stayed in this shape – it was really wonderful to look at.

“I got the idea from a wedding I went to when they let off 50 all at once. That was really spectacular.”

Andy decided to set off the lanterns as a surprise for his two brothers and nephew, who all celebrate their birthday on the same day.

He said: “It’s certainly going to be a party everyone will remember. It’s been quite amusing – all the stories that have come out about it.

“It certainly wouldn’t stop me using them again. I think they’re great.”

The shapes were seen as far away as Walcot, as Dave Page said.

Mr Page said: “My mate pointed out these orange shapes to me and there was something really strange about the way they were moving.

“They were too far away to make out exactly what they were but they were making a really odd shape.”

Daniel Morgan from Pinehurst also had a theory about what the shapes could be.

He had heard that a 300 gram piece of cheese was launched into space by West Country Cheese makers in Britain to mark the anniversary of the first moon landing 40 years ago.

And the 29-year-old said: “I thought it might be that cheese they sent into space.

“It was supposed to land somewhere near here, so I thought that would explain it.”