UFOs?

(Jan. 4) - Mysterious lights in the sky over northern England prompted a flood of phone calls to media outlets over the holidays. "The UFO sighting is the hot topic around here at the moment," says Tony Clynch, 40, of Barrow. "Everyone keeps asking each other if they saw the lights."
Deborah Wilkin saw two lights on Christmas Day from her home in Urswick. "They were hovering in the sky for about five minutes and then they moved and just went," she said. "It was the most bizarre thing I have ever seen. They were absolutely fantastic." Many others reported seeing the lights on Dec. 27.
The North West Daily Mail reported Saturday that a woman contacted the newspaper with information that appears to solve at least part of the mystery. "I saw the letter in the paper and had a bit of a chuckle to myself when I read it because I knew straight away that people had seen our lanterns," said Andrea Hodgson, 36.Hodgson, her husband and their wedding guests released 50 orange, candle-lit Chinese lanterns into the sky at a reception on the evening of Dec. 27 where residents reported seeing the UFOs. They rose in the air and burned for 10 to 20 minutes, she said, adding that "they are biodegradable so they tend to just disappear after a while."