A UFO mystery has been solved by a guest at a wedding reception.

A couple from Longwalk, Istead Rise, were left dumbfounded after they encountered strange lights in the night sky.

The pair, who insisted they were not nutters, claim they saw six red lights moving slowly in an inverted V shape with a long tail.

Helen Hanreck, 49, was looking for her cats in the garden when she noticed a bright light in the sky.

The insurance manager called to her partner, Nick Claydon, to have a look at the spectacle at 9.45pm.

Nursery nurse Becky Linehan was at a Japanese wedding reception at The Leather Bottle, The Street, Cobham, on the same night.

It is a Japanese tradition to let off sky candles to bless the marriage.

The 23-year-old, of Barr Road, Gravesend, says the candles must be the explanation to the sighting.

She said: "We lit the candles at 9.30pm and this was around the same time people said they saw them.

"I was in hysterics when I saw that people thought it was a UFO, I told the best man and he thought it was hilarious too."

Co-ordinator of Lancashire Anomalous Phenomena Investigation Society (LAPIS) Rob Whitehead thought the sighting was Chinese lanterns.

He said: "I managed to catch some of these lanterns on tape here in Lancashire just a few months ago.

"They do look very spooky as they glide silently across the night sky and I can understand why they would alarm ordinary members of the public who might see them."

North Kent police say they had one report of someone seeing flashing lights at 10.01pm on September 8.