FOUR North-East police officers spotted a UFO while on a dog training exercise, according to new documents released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The sighting occurred in Wear Bank Road, between Wolsingham and Hamsterley, in County Durham, in September 2005.

It was among thousands of reports of unidentified flying objects received by the MoD between 1965 and 2008, which were recently handed over to the National Archives for publication on its website.

The report describes the UFO as being a three-dimensional diamond shape, similar in size to a large helicopter, with green lights on either side.

There was a red and white light on the centre of its body.

Four officers from the Durham Police force, who were on duty at the time and about to commence the dog training exercise saw the object, which reportedly stayed on scene for about two minutes.

It moved slowly northwards when lights from a car were shone in its direction.

The report states: “It was sighted above the field adjacent to the road. No sound was heard. There were clear skies.

“It was reported to Durham Police’s air support unit and Durham and Tees Valley Airport.”

The officers are not named in the file and it states the MoD was unable to reply as there was no address included by whoever submitted the report.

A spokesman for Durham Police said their protocol for reports of any such sightings is to refer them to the RAF search and rescue and air traffic control in case it is an aircraft in distress.

Elsewhere in the North-East, in August 2007, a report was received from a resident in Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham, stating they had witnessed two very bright lights moving silently in unison.

In Choppington, Northumberland , a man reported seeing a white, pencil line of very bright lights, which he described as being as bright as flash bulbs, bathing the whole sky in light.