A STRANGE sighting above the Malvern Hills was reported on the front of the Malvern Gazette 50 years ago.

Four people had seen a flying object, described by one of them as a "large luminous blue bubble", just after 1.20am on Friday, May 9.

Local author Austin Stone and his wife were returning from a performance of his new play Mystery in Pimlico, in Birmingham, when they saw it.

It was Mrs Stone who came up with the "blue bubble" description, while Mr Stone said it flashed overhead at a tremendous speed. He added: "I've seen meteors before and it was nothing like that."

At about the same time, two scientists - names withheld by the paper - saw "a phosphorescent halo about ten yards in diameter sailing over the hills".

"The two young men were on the eastern slopes of the hills. The moon was full and not obscured by cloud, when a circular object emitting a weird light appeared travelling at about 600 miles an hour and, as far as could be estimated, 2,500ft high. There was no noise and no aircraft in sight."

One of the witnesses said it did not behave either like a satellite or like a meteorite.

Somewhat inevitably, the mystery light was dubbed a "flying saucer" in the headline.