We can all speculate on what happened to the turbine blades, whether it's the cold, hair line fractures or what ever but we not dismiss other options either. I spent an hour, with my partner, watching strange lights fly over central Bristol during the new year festivities.

Tim De La Rew, Bristol, UK

Don't know enough details but why an elaborate "Aliens did it"? Couldn't it be a design problem, metal fatique or if not metal, substrate fatique?

jo collins, Richmond, VA, USA

Agree with Paul of Wakefield .Severe cold causing hairline fracture of one blade causing it to hang down into path of the 2nd ,thereby buckling it. Impact broke1st blade off completely.Let's see the other blade !!
OR Salvador Dali Ltd of Barcelona have started making wind turbines !

Lyn Jenkins, Cardigan, Wales

Generator overload could easily have caused the lighting up. The same problem could then lead to the shaft seizing up - even momentarily, this would cause stressing on the blades way above the design loading capacity - hence the blade breakage.
Rocket science? Not really...

Tom Clark, Cambridge, UK

Windmills can mess up the navigation sense of migratory birds; may they have a similar influence on alien spacecraft technology as well? On a more serious note it has been reported it could cost £1/4 million to repair - are these wind farms really cost effective?

Philip, Wales,

Just tap into UTUBE wind turbines damage and you will see similar accidents all over the world. These monstrosities are not very relianle and ice and self combustion are regular culprits but hey let the company pretend it was aliens. They will probably get another subsidy to cover alien attacks!

B GAmmon, Swansea, UK

Initial reports are the most accurate. DeBunkers follow on. Always amazes me when someone with good intentions reports a incident they are set upon by all and sundry. The Ministry of Defence will be right into this one.

Bob, Waga, Australia

One of the 65 ft long blades is very distorted and it would have taken an object of some weight to bend it while it was revolving, even at a low speed. I believe that these are made of some kind of metal so a solid object struck it with some force and the second blade was torn from its bolts.

Phil de Buquet, Newport,

..but did they make a crop circle while in the area or is it the wrong season for that?
How come the aliens never drop by central London or NYC? Seriously, most tourists go to the big cities.

Marie, NY , USA

Paul of Lyon - You're the Luddite, mate, with your irrelevant and facetious comment.

Bob, Yeovil, Somerset, UK

samuel king, yes there probably are aliens given the scale of the universe, in fact if there arent any it would prove the existence of God. however do you not think it quite odd that they would choose lincolnshire and then crash into a stationary object after negotiating the universe to get here?

will, grimsby, uk

C'mon everyone it's obvious! Santa's Sleigh made contact on Xmas Eve fatally stressing blade.....recent cold weather did the rest...case closed!

dave haskell, Boncath, UK

I've watched CSI at least once, I think I'm as qualified as any expert.... Having seen a simular wind turbine self destruct on a U tube vdo, I don't think we can't seriously blame UFO's or even the CIA.....Cheep dodgy components from China is where I would start my investigation!

simon thomas, cairo, egypt

Interesting. A real UFO should be able to navigate a wind farm easily although we all have accidents. Seeing moving lights from a moving car is not reliable, the car needs to be stationary to be sure the lights are actually moving. Ice is a good theory although there has not been much wind to help.

Lindsay Gatward, East Grinstead, England

As reported in the Financial Times, in the story linked below, a local resident had a firework display that night, which accounts for the lights.

Then you have a blade falling off a turbine. This is not a common failure, bu of course it does happen.

Now why on earth does this suggest aliens?

John, London,

Real bummer, that. You invent faster than light travel, soar across umpteen light years of hostile space, and find a habitable planet, then crash on the last mile! Grow up, people, look closer to home for solutions.

Stuart Dickson, Palma Mallorca, Spain

Ice shedding unevenly on the props generated asymmetric dynamic forces, either through aerodynamic flutter causing one blade to shed taking the other with it, or causing High Cycle Fatigue over a matter of weeks causing the blade to fail.

Paul flusk, southport, UK

"UFO means "unidentified flying object." So saying "a UFO did it" just means "we don't know what did it" - not exactly an explanation. Until the explanation is known, it is unknown. Duh.

Norman, Anstruther, United Kingdom

Jonathan Ross' ego was in the area when the blade clipped it and flew off. The lights seen shortly before hand were torches - JR and his family were out looking for said ego. Only jokin - chill - I like the guy (and his ego).

Paul Tinker, Henley-on-Thames, UK

The Tripods did it, all welcome the day of capping to come!

Thursty, Wollongong, Australia

1.The turbine siezed up, causing the blades to suddenly stop and one of them broke off under the strain. The lights were caused by the friction of the turbine siezing.
2.Someone flushed the lavatory on a passing airliner and the blade was struck by the falling frozen block of excreta.

Steve, Kuala Lumpur,

Damage caused by ice dropping off the wings of a UFO. ( A balanced view)

Christopher Houston, Barnsley, England

I was gobsmacked by the comment made by Bob of Yeovil. I thought even luddites had more sense than to prefer a whacking great Coal powered power station (Chilean high sulphur content coal of course), or perhaps, another Nuclear power station to something as relatively benign as a wind turbine. Duhh.

Paul, Lyon, France

My educated guess is that it was a mistake. Collisions with other objects happen from time to time. Trees, planes, other UFO. They are unstable at low altitudes. It is likely that they were performing somme sort of surveilance on the facility when one inadvertantly got into the path of a blade. Oops

Rob, Edmonds, USA

Suggest they look at the possibility of ball-lightning.

jduffy, Acton Park, Tasmania, Australia

I'd be very careful with the broken blade. It could be covered in martian germs.

Mike, Seattle, USA

i blame Putin and his GasProm agents. they would do anything to stop European efforts to get away from the dependency on russian gas!

Sergey, NYC, USA

It must mean an alien invasion. All this with the Iraq War and the credit crunch - how will we all cope.!?! Common sense is so over rated. The Ferrari explaination seems more likely.......

Bart, Blackwood, uk

There have been unconfirmed reports of a UAV - an unmanned military drone - operating in the area around the time. I wonder which item of fancy new RAF kit has acquired a dent? Hats off to the virtual pilot for getting it home!
Hmm ... black Vauxhall Omega has just pulled up outside ...

Kathy, London,

i done it

chris, bromley, kent

Ouch. Hope the Scout Moor Wind Farm near us isn't next on the UFO hitlist.

It's the biggest in the UK, according to www.scoutmoorwindfarmcalendar.co.uk, so they've got plenty to aim at!

Dan, Rossendale,

Beowulf's wife in search of a hairdryer ?

John kirk, Birmingham, UK

has anyone checked on the whereabouts of arthur dent or ford prefect ?

lin black, prince george b.c., canada

I live within 10 miles of it, the wind was light, there were no dead swans on the ground. Did an irate poacher shoot it with a 12 bore?

David Vinter,, Louth, Lincs,, UK.

Damn alien teenagers, always hit-and-run with them....now the turbine-insurance premiums are up for everyone...
**shakes fist at sky**

Matt, Philadelphia, PA, USA

My Guess: One blade has partially sheared off or buckled at the base. The thrust of the wind working against the drag of the generator in the centre then caused it to hinge forward into the second blade, before it fell off completely

Philip, Wellingborough, UK

Simple answer ! One blade breaking free, colliding and generating friction with another blade, resulting in the lights seen by witnesses. Let's all get back to sleep & sweet dreams.

John Fisher, Edinburgh,

metal fatigue,so it definately dose need a thorough investigation.

james h harling, kirkham, england

Why are their so many people out there who laugh and make comedy of UFO theories? Does anybody actually comprehend the size of the universe we inhabit? Would it make good sense to assume that in the whole vastness of the cosmos we have the only single inhabited planet?
Wake up, world.

Samuel King, Basildon, UK

Dislodged by a thrown shoe.

James Hardison, Palo Alto, USA

Flashing lights? I reckon LSD.

Ali G, Staines, UK

Judging by the commentary on the radio last night, I would say it was the ball from Roy Carroll's goal kick in the dying seconds of the Derby- Manchester United game.

Viv Wigley, Derby, Derbyshire

blame Canada!

Fabrice, San Diego, US

Boggarts. Little hairy creatures that come out of the fen. That's what done it. All true yellow-belly Lincolnshire folks know it.

Slodger, Lincoln,

Salvador Dalí performance art from the grave.

Gene, Denver, US

I was in the area and saw a suspicious elderly Spanish gentleman on a horse, eying the turbine with a malevolent look. The best description I could give the police is that he looked like "an ingenious hidalgo".

R D Harper, London, UK

What were the weather conditions last night? Sub-zero temperatures could have increased stress in the materials. But I think the wind was fairly calm and so the turbine wasn't turning too fast. I've seen a video on YouTube recently of a turbine failing, but it was blowing a gale.

Stephen J. Brown, Cambrdige, UK

I've noticed objects in the sky on several occaisions - One, a really bright light appeared in the east, curved round, reaching it's highest point roughly in the south, and then dissapearing in the west. It lasted about 8 hrs, you could feel heat emmited from it...
Maybe it just fell off...

jamie, Grimsby (lincolnshire), U.K.

i get the feeling that if aliens can manage to travel light years across the galaxy, then they might just have the technology available to stop them crashing into stationery objects?!

will, grimsby, uk

Ecotricity (and the UK planning authorities) should take on board the serious safety implications of this incident and stop building wind turbine farm developments in the vicinity of dwellings. This incident proves that the risk to the public in such instances cannot be dismissed as 'negligible'.

Bob, Yeovil, Somerset, UK

A new design of turbine by 'experts' from the university of Bedfordshire?

Alfred Vella, milton keynes,

Perhaps we should be looking at number one suspect footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and his red Ferrari !

j, paisley,

The sight of orange and yellow coloured lights could mean that it was a form of ball lightning that caused the damage. It is quite common in open areas of countryside and the height plus the electrical components of the turbines, would also attract this kind of lightning strike.

K.Hall, Helsinki, Finland

Mutated woodpeckers

James, Leicester,

My theory is that the blade fell off.

Eric, Salem, Oregon

Have the CPRE gone militant?

Keith, Preston,

I think if aliens were to travel across the galaxy to make contact with mankind, then they would definitely start in Conisholme in Lincolnshire.

Jon, London, UK

Any remnants of Ferrari found around the site?

Matthew, Leksand, Sweden

If Alistair Darling is quick, he could introduce a bill to tax alien landings and impose increased parking charges for higher-polluting spacecraft.

Paul B., Cambridge, England

When did this happen. There was a RAF jet last night buzzing around East Yorks coast at high speed.

Tom, Bridlingyon, UK

Bird strike! A flock of disorientated half frozen swans (probably with bird flu) collided with the turbine.

Sven, London, England

That's assuming its not E.T. otherwise the little green men my have special materials which are wind turbine blade resistant.

A lack of evidence of whatever caused the damage would be more disturbing. I can't think of any material on earth that wouldn't leave a trace from causing such damage...

Daniel, London, UK

Many UFO buffs are driven by science fiction & fail to differentiate between fact and fiction, thus giving a science subject a veil of idiocy, there are many reasons why a turbine blade was below the tower. It does not follow that an advanced craft would leave impact traces, though often, they do.

Scott L. Felton, Conwy, Wales

Laura. It may will have fallen off. But take a look at the picture. The other blade is still on but damaged. I dont think that happened naturally somehow

Alexander, Lancashire, UK

Yeah, an' the same aliens or wotever you wanna calls them, took five hundred pound out of my wallet. Who do i apply to for compernsation?

Graham Mitchell, Perth, Australia

Bad luck being able to travel across interstellar space only to bump into a wind turbine.

Paul Groom, London, UK

Things mechanical sometimes fail. Investigation will show that one aerofoil became detached, and in so doing, hit the other damaged section. UFO ? A laughable explanation.

Hugh, Leeds,

A collision would have probably bent the top of entire tower, and the whole of the prop head . I think extreme cold, a hair line metal fracture at base of blade resulted in it breaking off and smashing in to the other blade. Any pics of fallen blade ? The damage to that would be more interesting!

paul, Wakefield, UK

Maybe we should ask Sancho Panza?

Don Keys, Tolosa, Spain

Perhaps it was the russians trying to take away our alternative power now too!!

Adam Webb, MK, UK

It's so long since I talked to a girl, I've acquired UFO delusions to try and be interesting.
Now I demand that the Ministry of Defence, no, the WORLD, takes me seriously!
(laughs insanely)

Simon, Weymouth,

i was sat looking out the window saturday afternoon and i seen a strange object circling the sky when i got my camera it disappeared, i told my partner saturday night but never thought anything after until this morning on the news i live in nottingham and think this sighting is true.

kelly, nottingham, uk

The 'alien' should be breathalysed:)

Dom B, London, England

Or perhaps a blade was suffering structural fatigue, snapped off and then hit another blade on its way down. But how stupid of me, that's far too ridiculous. The only rational explanation can be that it was caused by UFOs. Sorry, I don't know what came over me.

Barrie Redfern, Zdole, Slovenia

Surely if something hit the turbine blade, the 'UFO' would have been damaged too, evidence of which (trace material from the 'ship') would be found on the blade? And wouldn't the blade be found further away form the turbine, not directly under it? It could have fallen off naturally.

Laura, York, UK