Edinburgh is UK city with most UFO sightings, says National Geographic ahead of documentary

Edinburgh has more UFO sightings than any other place in the UK and half the population believe aliens are real

Edinburgh has more UFO sightings than any other city in the UK, according to research by National Geographic.

The Capital beat London and Leicester to the top spot for spotting unidentified objects in the night skies, with 18 per cent of residents claiming to have spotted one. The study, which surveyed 2,000 adults, also showed almost half - 48 per cent - believe in the existence of aliens. Meanwhile, 10 per cent claim to have witnessed something unusual.

The research was commissioned by National Geographic ahead of the launch of its new documentary series UFOs: Investigating the Unknown . The series aims to exposees the top-secret Pentagon programme on UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) of the US government.

A Texas man spotted lights in the sky in 2008 (Vice Media LLC)

Nick Pope, a former UFO investigator for the MOD, said: “UFOs are big news now, and a lot of people are reporting - and sometimes filming - extraordinary things. While many people are convinced these sightings involve alien life, most cases turn out to be misidentifications. The chances are there's intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, and even though the vast distances make direct contact a challenge, encountering an alien civilization would be the biggest story in human history.”

The study also found that cities in the north of the UK were more likely to have UFO sightings, with only Bristol and London appearing in the top ten from the south. While 31 per cent of all adults surveyed believe humankind will at some point make contact with aliens from another planet or galaxy.

More than four in ten of those surveyed suspected the government is concealing information about UFOs, and one in three respondents would like to see the Ministry of Defence’s UFO Project, which investigated reports of UFO sightings, reopened.

If aliens visited earth, 41 per cent of those surveyed believe they would be here to carry out scientific study, while 21 per cent fear they would be harvesting the planet for raw materials. The documentary series UFOs: Investigating the Unknown premieres on National Geographic on Tuesday, May 2 at 8pm.

The top 10 UK cities with the most UFO sightings

1. Edinburgh

2. Leicester

3. London

4. Sheffield

5. Newcastle

6. Leeds

7. Manchester

8. Birmingham

9. Bristol

10. Glasgow