RESIDENTS in Avebury gawped in wonder on Saturday night as a white, saucer-shaped UFO skimmed through the air over the village.

Many drinkers taking the air outside the Red Lion Inn at about 9pm stood in amazement as the object circled over the ancient Sarsen stones. Many got on their mobile phones and soon others came from Marlborough to see it.

Then, after about ten minutes, the craft turned towards Calne and flew off. David Williams, a cellarman at the Red Lion, said: "It was a wonderful sight but most people realised quite quickly it was a very clever scam.

"It was your traditional saucer shape, like two white soup plates turned upside down. At first it was thought it was a microlight in disguise but I have since heard that it was a remote controlled model plane.

"A group of people were seen standing on a line of hay bales and we now think they were controlling it.

"Everybody enjoyed it. It was very well done and I think the people responsible should be congratulated for giving us all a bit of a buzz."

Resident Richard Pearce, 21, who was at the Red Lion when the saucer appeared, said he tracked it, saw it land in a field and watched two men dismantle it and pack it into a van.