posted August 19, 2002 03:12 PM         

ALIEN HOTSPOT REVEALED IN UK

A NEW hotbed of UFO activity has been uncovered in Britain.

More than 300 UFOs are seen in Scotland each year, according to a survey. That's four times as many as in France and Italy. Graham Birdsall, editor of UFO magazine, says it could be down to geography and number of air bases.

He told The Observer: "UFOs tend to be attracted to regions that are fairly remote. Plus, if you have a remote area, look out for air bases.

"Scotland is littered with air bases. In 90% of reports, a bit of diligent research will produce a simple explanation."

Karen Gray from VisitScotland, the tourist board that commissioned the latest survey, said: "Our survey confirms that Scotland is the nearest thing there is to the Costa del Sol for aliens."

Ron Halliday, who has written two books on the appearance of UFOs in Scotland, said: "When you think of the number of sightings in Scotland compared to the size of its population, it is phenomenal."

The paper reports the Nineties saw a sudden surge of sightings in the central Scottish areas of West Lothian and Stirlingshire, particularly around the small town of Bonnybridge, near Falkirk.

Mr Halliday said: "The area has become known as the Falkirk triangle. There have been various suggestions as to why it is such a magnet for UFOs.