'Flying cross' police chase, Devon
Two Devon police officers chased a star-spangled cross-shaped light at up to 80 mph for about fifteen minutes.
1967 CE · 50.81, -4.35 · status: disputed
The account
At 4 a.m. on 24 October 1967 constables Roger Willey and Clifford Waycott followed the object along the road from Holsworthy toward Hatherleigh; a motorist also saw it. Similar 'flying cross' reports came from Sussex and elsewhere the same week, during Britain's busiest year for UFO reports.
The sceptical view
Bright planets low in the pre-dawn sky are a commonly suggested explanation for such police chases.
The researched reading
A pre-dawn police chase of a cross-shaped light during a national flap. Venus, at its brightest, is the most likely answer.
| Explanation | Weight | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Something known, misidentified | 50% | In late October 1967 Venus was near its brightest as a morning star in the east before dawn; a brilliant planet seen through a windscreen and twinkling near the horizon easily looks star-spangled and paces a car. |
| Undetermined | 16% | The share a generic explanation had beyond what has been shown for this case: it fits many cases like this one, but has not been demonstrated for this one. |
| Perception, memory or mind | 12% | October 1967 was Britain’s busiest UFO month, with "flying cross" headlines, which primed similar sightings. |
| Genuinely anomalous | 8% | Two officers and a motorist saw it, and they described an object below the horizon at one point. |
| A known natural phenomenon | 6% | Strong scintillation near the horizon makes a planet flash colours and seem to move. |
| Secret human technology | 4% | Military aircraft were suggested for other cross reports that week but did not fit the timings. |
| A poorly understood natural phenomenon | 2% | No unusual natural phenomenon is needed. |
| A hoax or fabrication | 2% | Police officers reported it on duty; no sign of invention. |
Official position: The Ministry of Defence suggested Venus; other reports of the week were attributed to aircraft.