Flying saucer had UK up in arms

A “war of the worlds” rag week hoax by aircraft engineering apprentices was treated as a real alien invasion of Britain, according to newly released Ministry of Defence files. The Guardian reports.

A “war of the worlds” rag week hoax by aircraft engineering apprentices was treated as a real alien invasion of Britain, according to newly released Ministry of Defence files.

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The army’s southern command, four police forces, bomb disposal units, RAF helicopters and MoD’s intelligence branch were all mobilised in the early hours of Monday September 4, 1967 to meet the threat.

It was not until a Scotland Yard bomb disposal squad with orders to check one of the objects with portable X-ray equipment arrived, that the hoax was uncovered — the Ever Ready batteries were a bit of a giveaway.