USAF BLAMED FOR ALIEN HOAX

While renovating his home, Englishman Barney Broom came across a large jar containing what appears to be a model of an infant alien suspended in liquid. Barney contacted the Sci Fi Channel, which called in science fiction literature expert Professor Adam Roberts to examine the "creature". The professor's conclusions:

"The easy thing to do is dismiss it all and say it's a hoax. It may be or may not be," said Prof Roberts. "The fact that it was found near a US air base suggests there may be a military component to it."

A spokeswoman for the US air force said it had never made such models of an alien, the figure was not government property and the serial number could mean it had been catalogued by a museum. "It's a hoax," the spokeswoman said.

Prof Roberts admitted it could be a film prop dating from the 1960s, but said he was not surprised at US denials: "That is the US air force line. They deny these alien encounters. It is quite possible they concoct stories to cover up for more nefarious activities."

It's also possible the air force denies alien encounters because there haven't been any.