Aliens are landing in the Lake District to fill their spaceships up with water, it has been claimed.

UFO experts reckon visitors from other planets are using the area as a natural fuelling station, while monitoring our use of nuclear power at nearby Sellafield Power Station.

Spotters across the Lake District and Cumbria have reported what they describe as an unprecedented rise in the number of unexplained objects in the night sky.

Strange shapes and lights have been reported in several areas including restricted locations near sensitive military sites and nuclear power stations.

The most recent sightings were reports of orange lights off the coast of Ravenglass, Cumbria, just a few miles from the Sellafield nuclear plant.

Real-life Dana Skully, Sharon Larkin, 37, says she is aware of a recent increase in activity and claims Cumbria, especially the Lake District, is becoming a UFO hotspot.

She said: "There has been a lot of activity lately.

"Some theories suggest the large amount of water in the lakes is useful to craft which may need it for propulsion systems.

"Another theory is that they are monitoring our use of nuclear power."

According to UFO investigator Pat Regan the Ravenglass lights are unlikely to have been maritime flares.

He said: "The report was submitted by a man who has extensive knowledge of the area and is familiar with flares.

"He reported that what he saw were definitely not flares and that the lights moved without making any noise."

Unlike flares or other possible sources such as Chinese lanterns Pat, a 51-year-old father of two, says the man, who does not want to be named, reported the lights changing direction a number of times on January 24.

He explained: "There were two lights together then one veered off to the north.

He kept watching this light which dipped to sea level then up again before heading off at speed."

There have also been recent UFO sightings in Carlisle and other parts of Cumbria.