The mystery of the Rendlesham UFO incident in Suffolk more than 40 years ago could be revealed in the near future, an extra-terrestrial specialist believes.
Tony Buckingham, founder of East Anglia UFO Group, believes the recent discussion in the US about the existence of aliens suggests there is life on other planets.
This week, the US Congress held a public hearing on claims the government is covering up its knowledge of unidentified flying objects (UFOs).
A former Air Force intelligence officer told Congress that the US is concealing a long-standing programme that retrieves and reverse-engineers UFOs.
On Wednesday, retired Major David Grusch said the US likely has been aware of “non-human” activity since the 1930s.
It was in late December in 1980 when a series of sightings of unexplained lights were reported in Rendlesham Forest, with witnesses claiming they saw a UFO.
The Rendlesham incident, as it has come to be known, is the UK's most famous reported UFO sighting.
Mr Buckingham has said that he has been waiting for US lawmakers to discuss the existence of aliens for 40 years.
He said: "It's finally here.
"It's history in the making, and it's only the beginning or a process, and I still think there is four or five years to come.
"I just found it great that for the first time, you have Democrats and Republicans all together, singing from the same hymn sheet.
"It's interesting to see how the intelligence people are trying to put blocks on people seeing anymore, which tells people the story, that these people have been keeping a secret from the population for decades.
"Everybody will know of the UFO/alien reality when in actual fact, they've as good as said it now."
After the Rendlesham incident, calls were made to RAF Wattisham and Heathrow Airport – but no explanation was given as to what could have been flying in the area at the time.
It has gone on to be one of the most famous reported UFO events in history and has garnered the nickname 'Britain's Roswell', a nod to the UFO incident that took place in New Mexico in 1947.
Mr Buckingham added: "Rendlesham Forest is a fantastic story.
"There has been a lot of bickering in the past, but now I think most people realise what actually went on.
"I know some of the main protagonists myself, and they're quite good friends of mine.
"This case has been a part of this whole process, and now that we have got to this point, with US Senate talking about this, I think things will happen relatively quickly.
"I've been waiting since I was 16 for this, and I was born in 1954, so that tells you how long I have waited for this to happen.
"It wouldn't surprise me if, in another four or five years, we will finally find out one way or another from the President of the United States.
"I can see the President coming out and saying, 'I'm afraid we've had to keep these things secret for so many years, because we needed to know this and we weren't sure about that but now we think it's time for you, the population, to know we are not alone in the universe'".
The East Anglia UFO Group has a Facebook membership of about 1,500 people, with about 50 of those being contributors, who attend meetings in Newmarket once a month.
In the wake of the discussion in the US, broadcaster Professor Brian Cox said that the extraordinary claims about the existence of aliens that were made in the hearing were not backed up by "extraordinary evidence."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here