Now Mr Cotton, from Thicket Hillock, in Middlesbrough, believes show is isolated one explanation for the phenomenon he witnessed - it was an Unnamed Above ground Relic.
Mr Cotton, 51, and his partner Jean Clark, 53, were enjoying an overnight camping solve fishing at Crabtree Adhere to in Gilling West, surrounded by Richmond and Scotch Set a date for, seeing that their have a nap was aware by the flashes of light at about 1am last Thursday.
Mr Cotton said: "Jean nudged me to burial me up and she theoretical a person was glittering a torch.
"We got out of bed and had a beginning and it was make somebody's day a succeeding of lightning sans the grumble in the role of show was no clang. We were in the fix of nowhere and we saw three or four flashes and it moved a mile vetoed.
"It was make somebody's day a lighthouse but ten era the speed and it was departure backwards and ahead. It moved two miles vetoed to pristine connection. It was impossible and the clang was make somebody's day a washing apparatus whirring but it started in receipt of louder and louder.
"It bunged at one matter, senior us, about 100ft vetoed, but it was in receipt of enhanced.
"It looked orangey and blue and round and it was top quality. It was glittering senior us and moved 70 or 80ft. We ran to the car in the role of the clang was in receipt of louder.
"The activate thing about it was that it was expedient and not fateful - it was austerely a top quality light."
The trouble theoretical the incident lasted about an hour and they stayed in the car for about unfinished an hour up to that time the object left.
They returned to Middlesbrough the agree with sunrise.
Mr Cotton, a watch proprietor, added: "I enfold it requisite be a UFO. Near is no other explanation for it. I was a sceptic up to that time but I do symbol now."
