Wind turbine UFO mystery
OUR sister paper the Louth Leader has found itself at the centre of an international media frenzy.
It all started when people in the village of Conisholme reported that a UFO had knocked the blade off a nearby wind turbine.
Since then, reporters and TV news crews from all over the world have descended on the village looking for clues.
The frenzy has led worried wind farm company Ecotricity to employ security guards with dogs to seal off the site to stop visits by UFO fanatics.
It is still a mystery as to what caused the giant fibreglass blade to fall off the 89 metre high wind turbine on the night of Saturday January 3.
Ecotricity say it is possible the turbine was hit by something big and heavy - but other theories include static electricity and a build up of ice on the blade.
The fallen blade has now been sent to experts in Germany for tests.
Among those who claim to have seen mysterious lights in the sky is Coun Robert Palmer, chairman of East Lindsey District Council.
He is worried about the safety of the wind turbines and has called for the site to be shut down.
He said: "Imagine walking your dog there and one of those blades coming down on your head. It would chop you completely in two. I'm extremely worried about the safety of the public. It is open land and there are footpaths across there."
But Ecotricity say there is no danger to the public at the wind farm and add the Health and Safety Executive in London are happy with them carrying out the investigation.
Coun Palmer – and hundreds of other people – have said they saw strange lights in the sky over Conisholme the night before the wind turbine was damaged.
Eyewitness Rebecca Hodgson from Louth was at her horse's stables off London Road in the town that night.
At 5pm her horse stopped suddenly and gazed up at the sky as a bright orange light circled above the turbines, which can be seen from the stables.
Rebecca said: "It was really bright and glowing, it went dimmer and then moved across horizontally".
Shocked at her horse's reaction, Rebecca called her mum and sister shouting there was a UFO in the sky.
"Animals are more susceptible to things like that. Obviously we get a lot of airplanes flying over but she never normally gets bothered by them. I instantly thought it was strange".
Theories that residents were seeing aircraft from Donna Nook RAF base have been rubbished following confirmation the base was closed from Friday December 15 until Monday January 5.
* Have you seen the mysterious lights in the sky? Do you think a UFO hit the wind turbine? Take part in this week's vote – see page 11 for details and email sean.topham@jpress.co.uk or Text us on 81800. Start your message with HNNEWS – please include your name and where you are writing from. Calls cost 25p plus the standard network charge.
Click here to see more on this story
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Horncastle
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: East
