A local woman, who has asked not to be named, spotted several mysterious orange balls floating above the horizon on Monday night.

She said she was closing the patio doors of her home in Upper Maize Hill when something strange caught her eye.

She called her husband and the pair watched in amazement as a number of orange, flaming balls appeared to hover in the night sky over the sea.

They then began fading and disappeared. Shortly after the couple saw a plane flying away from the exact area the objects had been in and they believe it could have been sent to investigate.

Local UFO expert Malcolm Robinson, was excited by the sighting. He said: "The vast majority of UFO sightings can easily be explained.

"This particular sighting may also have a natural explanation. Admittedly I can only go on what the witness has said but on the surface it could be a number of things."

The paranormal buff said it could well have been chinese lanterns, which he says have seen an increase in reported false UFO sightings in the UK. He also suggested the flaming orange appearance of the objects might point toward a flare being released by local fisherman.

He said: "At the end of the day, although there may well be a rational explanation to account for this sightings, I am of the opinion one should never throw the baby out with the bathwater. This could very well be one of the five per cent of British UFO reports which are unexplained each year."

Whatever the shapes were, the woman who saw them was quick to point out she is not a crackpot convinced of an alien invasion.

She said: "I don't really know what they were but they are certainly unidentified flying objects. I don't think they were from another planet though. If you had come all the way to Earth from light-years away would you chose to come to Hastings?".

Anyone interested in the paranormal should visit Concordia Hall in Church Road, St Leonards, on Saturday July 26 when Malcolm Robinson is delivering a talk on The Scottish UFO Phenomena. This will be followed by Tina Lakin and her lecture The Ghosts and I.

Anyone wanting more details, or to report strange sightings can contact organisers on 07949178835.

Have you seen anything strange in the sky? Leave your comments below.