One in three Brits claim they've spotted a UFO - with over half reporting it to police

dailystar.co.uk:

UFO? Over half of those who claim to have had a sighting have reported it – to the police. A study of 2,000 adults found a third of Brits claim to have spotted a UFO or something “out of the ordinary” – but 35% of those put it down to an optical illusion.Nearly a quarter (23%) describe themselves as “true believers” of extra-terrestrial life, with 45% admitting they have believed in the existence of UFOs and aliens for as long as they can remember.

And a third say they want to believe that there are alien beings out there – despite not being fully confident in the myth or theory.

But not everyone is quite so accepting of life beyond earth – with 58% calling the police about potential UFO sightings.The research was commissioned by Beavertown Brewery, to celebrate World UFO Day this Saturday (July 2nd).A spokesman for the artisan brewery said: “You often hear the stories out there that people have legitimately spotted sightings of aliens or UFOs in cities across the country.“We have always wondered just how many Brits believe in aliens, so it’s been really interesting to look at the research this World UFO Day and find out how people feel about extra-terrestrial life.”The top ways people typically learn about aliens or other unusual sightings are from documentaries (36%), reading online materials (24%), and talking to friends and family (22%).More than four in ten (43%) are alien enthusiasts because they would like to think there’s more beyond what we know, while 21% say it’s what they’ve always grown up to believe.A third actively go out to look for unusual sightings, and the same number have even come up with their own story about these unexplainable things.When quizzed on their own city, one in four (26%) claim where.