COULD this be a case for an X Files investigation?

The authorities are struggling to come up with an explanation after bizarre orange lights were seen hovering above Darlington at the weekend.

Residents spotted the five glowing orbs floating in a V-formation on Saturday night.

Rebecca Hall filmed the incident on her mobile phone at 10pm, during a night out at The Dalesman pub, in Victoria Road.

She said: “I was standing outside having a cigarette when I noticed them.

“We told everyone in the pub. Curiosity got the better of one of them and he came out and saw them too.

“It was bizarre. It didn’t look like planes or helicopters because there was no noise.

“They seemed to be in a fixed formation, and after two or three minutes the lights disappeared.”

UFO expert Nick Pope said: “I strongly suspect these are so-called Chinese lanterns – small balloons with a burner underneath that are increasingly popular in this country and are let off at parties, barbecues and so on.