UFO seen by a woman police constable near Isfield, Sussex, Early Autumn 1977.

Patricia Grant, an independent and thorough researcher, has interviewed a woman police constable who claims to have seen a UFO in Isfield, near Lewes, Sussex, on a bright day in the early autumn of 1977.

The witness prefers to remain anonymous, partly due to official pressure. At about 5:20 p.m. on the day in question the policewoman noticed a curious, silent object, estimated to be as large as a four-inch plate held at arm's length, at no more than 300 feet altitude. A conventional plane was immediately ruled out by the witness, who had been fully trained in aircraft recognition in the Royal Observer Corps. She felt no fear and on impulse waved at the object, which then came closer. It seemed to be of a light greenish-gray metal with a moderately reflective surface. On top of the dome protruded a blue-green light, and underneath the object could be seen a very dense black circular section (see Appendix, p. 457). At its closest approach the object was estimated to be no further than fifty feet away.

The witness had been waiting at a bus stop during the encounter, and when the bus eventually arrived she experienced a numbness, stiffness, and lack of coordination in her limbs as she fumbled with change for the fare. Stumbling to the top deck, from which she hoped to obtain a better view, she discovered that the object was nowhere to be seen. Almost immediately after taking her seat she developed an acute headache that persisted until the following morning. Other symptoms developed, including thirst and conjunctivitis: her eyes burned and watered for a week afterward, and she suffered recurrent gastric disturbances. (A point worth mentioning here is that the witness is also a qualified nurse, holding a General Nursing Certificate.) Even more peculiar was the sense of "time-lessness" experienced by the policewoman during the encounter: as much as twenty minutes seem to have been unaccounted for while she waited at the bus stop.

Patricia Grant, with whom I have discussed the case at length, is totally convinced of the witness's sincerity. Regrettably, no one else saw the object, it seems, and like Alfred Burtoo, this was the most frustrating aspect of the incident for the witness. Perhaps the most positive development is the fact that she now seldom becomes upset or angry, having admitted to having a short temper prior to the incident. 28