A FIREFIGHTER believes he has solved the mystery of a UFO spotted over Huddersfield.

The Examiner reported on Thursday how Crosland Moor resident Teresa Millward snapped images of a strange triangular object from her window last Monday afternoon.

She was unable to explain the slow-moving object and wondered whether any other readers had seen it.

Now Outlane man Will Basnett, a firefighter based in Halifax, believes he has the answer.

He said: "While training at the rear of the fire station my colleagues and I spotted the large object making its way across the horizon.

"Just as we were about to prepare ourselves for an `Independence Day' style invasion by some alien force, one of the lads pointed to a very faint object to the right of the `spaceship' which appeared to be some sort of light aircraft.

"We presume the object in question was some sort of banner that was being pulled by a plane.

"Maybe one day a spaceship, but not this time, I'm sorry to say!"

Another Examiner reader, who was out walking in Holywell Green noticed the same strange shape.

The reader said: "With the use of binoculars, it looked like some sort of advertising kite and it was being towed by an aeroplane."

Examiner reader Andy Ringrose, from Longwood, came up with the same answer.

He said: "The shape is very similar to a very large banner that I saw being towed over the skies of Manchester by a helicopter on Monday morning.

"There was a cable to the chopper from the top left corner and a weight at the bottom left - so maybe not aliens."

But one couple who saw it say they were amazed and are now more open-minded.

Betty Heptonstall and husband Philip were at Birdsedge on Monday when they spotted the object.

Philip is a member of Huddersfield Astronomical Society.

Betty said: "It was like an enormous kite.

"We watched it for about 10 minutes through binoculars.

"It was moving quite slowly then picked up speed and disappeared.

"We're usually pretty sceptical but this has seen us become more open-minded.

"I can't explain what happened and I'm not sure what it was but plenty of other people must have seen it."

Meanwhile, reader Mike Smith, of Birkby, said he saw a glowing light in the skies above his house on Tuesday evening.

He said: "It was similar to a piece of glowing firework debris and travelling at about the same apparent speed. There were, however, none of the other pyrotechnics or noise associated with fireworks."

He said: "At the moment, it is the peak period for the Geminid meteor showers and it could possibly have been a larger than usual meteor burning up and slowing down in the process to something less than the usual swift speed.

"The Geminid is a regular annual shower which might explain any multiple sightings and timings that may have been reported."

The video of the UFO's flight on the Examiner's website has proved highly popular with more than 500 hits.