DETAILS of one of the most infamous UFO sightings in the district's history have been released as part of a batch of previously unseen Government ‘x-files’.

Loughton residents were left baffled in September 2005 when ten glowing orange orbs were witnessed hovering in the night skies over the town.

Fearing an alien invasion, one concerned neighbour dialled 999 to report the 'balls of fire'.

But the mystery was solved days later when Tina May, of Colson Road, came across the story in newspapers and on television – and recognised the ten Thai lanterns she had let off on the same evening to celebrate her 21st birthday.

Now a detailed report of the Essex Police response to the evening's strange happenings has been made public for the first time - part of more than 6,700 pages of Ministry of Defence files released by the National Archives on Thursday (July 12).

The two-page fax is a transcript of the dialogue between officers after an unnamed local reports the objects 'circling and lining up' with the ‘whole street’ watching them.

One officer confirms seeing three 'orange lights in a stationary position' which 'moved off twds the London area'.

Checks are made with Stansted air traffic control tower and RAF West Drayton - whose staff can shed no light on the origins of strange orbs.

After confirming that all aircraft in the area are accounted for, the police move on to their next job.

Loughton has long been hailed as a UFO hotspot, with a string of mysterious sightings reported over the past decade.

These include a silent white object seen floating over the town in August 2004 and a series of round orange lights spotted in September 2009.

And in May this year, 11-year-old photographer Jack Brody sparked excitement among UFO fans after snapping a silver disc flying over Epping Forest.

Excerpts from the Essex Police incident log – September 10

2005 21:00:11 Inf reports 3 balls of fire in the sky.

21:00:26 They keep circling and then lining up.

21:00:28 Inf thought we should be aware.

21:00:53 Inf states the whole street are out looking at them.

21:06:30 GR72 - I can confirm this sighting, whilst we were enroute to inc: 1507.

21:06:50 GR72 – Please pass to GI01, as there are forms that need to be completed.

21:07:53 GI0I has been made aware.

21:08:51 FIRSGT: As this is a routine inc, I assume IMU is making calls to REF Notholt etc?

21:10:14 IMU – can all officers make an entry in their p/book.

21:11:16 GN72 (PC 364) also confirms this sighting.

21:12:18 GR71 – I can confirm this is not a weather pattern.

21:13:58 Stansted are contacting the tower for radar or aircraft display teams etc.

21:15:46 GR71 – We saw these lights about 20:54. We physically stopped to check this out. There was 3 orange lights in a stationary position, then moved off twds the London area.

21:16:44 From KD control – Stansted tower have no knowledge but state this area would come under West Drayton.

21:17:36 GN72 – Now in Oakwood Hill area, where I saw them. Now, there is no trace.

21:22:32 IMU – Contact made with West Drayton radar control at 2115 hours all radar objects are currently accounted for and are legitimate aircraft.

22:01:57 FIR48 – Further call from [CENSORED] states this is definitely not aircraft.

22:40:48 GI01 – I am satisfied with the explanation from radar control and the aircraft are therefore identified.