The British UFO Research Association or BUFORA is a UK organisation formerly registered as "BUFORA Ltd"; dedicated to investigating UFO phenomena in the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

. In 1997 the organisation was reported to have around 1,000 members.

History

In 1991, the book ''UFO Encyclopedia'' was compiled for the group by Major Sir

Patrick Wall Sir Patrick Henry Bligh Wall, (14 October 1916 – 15 May 1998) was a British commando in the Royal Marines during the Second World War and later a Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Haltemprice in the Eas ...

Status

BUFORA investigates over 400 cases a year, with the organisation reporting 95% of them as hoaxes. They run witness support groups for those who believe they have encountered extra terrestrials. The organisation has held an annual conference at

Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) is a public research university in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The university is based on two sites; the City Campus is located in the city centre near Sheffield railway station, while the Collegiate Cr ...

since 1987 and hold meetings across the country; with

Rendlesham Forest Rendlesham Forest is a mixed woodland in Suffolk owned by Forestry England with recreation facilities for walkers, cyclists and campers. Geography The forest is in the parishes of Bromeswell in the west, Eyke, Capel St Andrew to the south, a ...

being a frequent spot for gatherings. They have been outspoken critics of the UK government's

Freedom of Information Act Freedom of Information Act may refer to the following legislations in different jurisdictions which mandate the national government to disclose certain data to the general public upon request: * Freedom of Information Act 1982, the Australian act * ...

as it relates to UFOs.

Controversy

An entry in the ''UFO Encyclopedia'', which was a sighting confirmed as genuine by BUFORA, was later found to be a hoax. The supposed contactee, who claimed to have seen a UFO hovering over the town of

Warminster Warminster () is an ancient market town with a nearby garrison, and civil parish in south west Wiltshire, England, on the western edge of Salisbury Plain. The parish had a population of about 17,000 in 2011. The 11th-century Minster Church of S ...

, admitted to the hoax in 1994. In 1995, the group were the only official UFO organisation to endorse a film, purportedly by the US government, showing an

alien Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...

autopsy An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any di ...

at Roswell.

References

{{Authority control UFO organizations Forteana Paranormal investigators 1962 establishments in the United Kingdom Organizations established in 1962

History

Status

Controversy

See also

References