Claims that photographs of an unidentifiable diamond-shaped craft were "shredded" by the ministry has propelled the little-known case of the "Calvine" sighting into one of the most controversial UFO mysteries in British history.
Former MoD UFO investigator turned whistleblower Nick Pope claims pictures of the "Calvine UFO" were not released to the National Archives with the first set of the ministry's UFO files released in 2009 as should have happened.
In August 1990, two hikers were walking in the Scottish Highlands, close to Calvine, north of Pitlochry, when the incredible aircraft appeared hovering over the remote landscape.
For about ten minutes they watched and took six colour photographs, before it sped off into the distance.
The pair said during the incident, a number of military jets were seen making a series of low-level passes.
At least one of the jets was also caught by them on camera.
Mr Pope and Channel 5 have reconstructed the image for a detailed report of the alleged cover up which will be broadcast on Friday.
The men, whose identities are no longer known, allegedly took the camera to the Scottish Daily Record Newspaper, who in turn allegedly sent the pictures and the negatives to the MoD.
Mr Pope became chief investigator for the team at the MoD, which was investigating the UFO phenomenon at the time.
After the X-Files first aired in 1994 he went onto be given the nickname Spooky - like David Duchovny's Fox Mulder character in the series.
He said: "The Defence Intelligence staff sent these images to JARIC that’s the Joint Air Reconnaissance and Intelligence Centre. Now this is the UK’s military centre of expertise when it comes to imagery analysis. These Intelligence personnel come to the conclusion that these photographs are real – it’s a solid craft and no one has the faintest idea what it is.”
MoD UFO files now with the National Archive recorded that the images were scrutinised by the ministry, with the jet identified a a Harrier and they were also able to spot a second Harrier in other shots.
Mr Pope, who investigated sightings for the MoD until 2009, said a blow up of the best shot had pride of place on a wall in the department, and later went behind his desk as his rank grew.
He said visitors would come into the section, see it, and ask what it was taken.
He replied that: "It was the best UFO photo we ever received.”
But Mr Pope said an "internal cover-up" over the image later began.
He said: "One day my Head of Division came in, and he removed it. I don’t know whether it was sent somewhere else for safe keeping or someone else on his behalf put it through the shredder but whatever happened when the MoD opened its UFO files, questions were asked about that picture and the answer was “Well we don’t know. It’s gone."
It was after the "head had convinced himself" the craft was a secret, prototype US aircraft or drone, Mr Pope said.
But he claims this was after "we’d just received assurances from the appropriate US authorities that they weren’t testing anything like that in the UK."
Outside evidence of the photograph’s existence has also disappeared.
By Jon Austin, Sunday Express
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