A reader came into the Leader office today to show us this image he drew of an object sighted over Louth in the 1980s.

The man, who would not give his name, said he believes the craft he saw was part of a top secret United States military project at the time.

He explained: "I witnessed this craft going at around 200 miles an hour over Louth in 1985. It was metallic grey in colour and shot past St James' Church, just missing its spire. I thought at the time there was no way this was just an aeroplane, but I knew it wasn't alien either."

He went on to say he contacted a military aircraft expert who wrote and told him the craft was an American F19 stealth fighter.

He went on to say the craft could produce sonic booms: "It can travel at speeds up to 4,000 miles an hour, so all you would hear is a bang."

The man concluded: "I do not believe aliens have been visiting Earth and I think anybody who does is clearly crackers."