As the Leader reported last week, Legbourne residents Jeff and Eve Sardeson spotted the orange lights from their garden, unable to identify them.

Several readers subsequently contacted us to say they had also seen the strange lights. Suggestions by the witnesses on what the UFOs could have been ranged from helicopters to flying sky lanterns.

Now it appears there is indeed a terrestrial explanation to their origin, as one reader claims to have seen one of the orbs up close.

Ellie Butler from South Ormsby explains: "The mystery orange lights spotted over the Louth area had me confused too as I was at Cadwell for the weekend and spotted one. However the next night I witnessed the truth - they were indeed sky lanterns. One set off on its flight from a tent near ours and headed off towards Louth with a beautiful orange glow."

She added: "So I am afraid it is now an identified flying object."

Sky lanterns are small paper hot air balloons traditionally used at Asian festivals - where they can be seen rising into the sky, emitting an orange glow.

A quick search online reveals these lanterns are increasingly being mistaken for UFOs in Britain as their popularity at parties and weddings grows here.

Once lit, sky lanterns are said to last around 20 minutes, rising 1,500 metres from the ground and often floating for several miles.