BRITISH AUTHORITIES have released tape recordings of evidence from two US airmen investigating a potential UFO landing in a UK woodland nearly 30 years ago.

Unfortunately, however, the tapes do little to solve the mystery of the Rendlesham Forest “incident” in Suffolk nearly 30 years ago.

The recordings offer a vivid account of what personnel stationed at the nearby Bentwaters air force base discovered when they went to investigate red lights in the sky in the dead of the night in late December 1980.

It does become clear, however, that the men – led by Colonel Charles Halt - thought they were witnessing some type of bizarre phenomenon, as the men described “strange” lights in sky and damage to pine trees 15-18ft off the ground.

The Telegraph quotes excerpts from the tape that highlight the confusion caused by the strange goings on:

I hear very strange sounds of farmers – barnyard animals. They’re very, very active, making a lot of noise. Straight ahead. There it is again. Straight ahead. What is it? A strange small red light.

It looks maybe half a mile further ahead. Go back to the edge of the clearing, see if we can get a look at it… the animals have gone quiet now… It is deathly calm.

There is no doubt about it – it is a strange flashing red light ahead. I saw a yellow tinge in it too. Weird. It’s coming this way. It’s definitely coming this way.

There is no doubt about it. This is weird.

Colonel Halt claimed in September that he had seen a UFO that night, adding that he saw beams of light fired being fired into the air base before hearing on the military radio that aliens had landed inside the nuclear storage area.

Despite endless speculation and theories about the incident, however, there has never been a definitive answer to the origin of the strange red lights.