Is the truth out there?

Dozens of spooked-out residents flooded the police with calls in July claiming to have spotted UFOs circling over west London.

The mysterious lights baffled residents from Bedfont to Twickenham who claimed to have seen them darting around with no connection to the ground.

Officers eventually attempted to quash the rumours by insisting they had tracked the beams to a party in Bedfont.

But hardcore UFO enthusiasts remained convinced that what they saw was not of this earth.

Susan Ward, 47, of Sandalwood Road, Feltham, said: "I don't care what they say. I've seen searchlights and I know this wasn't coming from the ground."

View our UFO sighting video

Field of gold

Treasure which had been buried for more than 1,300 years has finally seen the light of day.

Anglo-Saxon jewellery, including a gold pendant with a blue glass stone, a silver ring, and six pieces of silver wire, was discovered at the former graveyard of St Martin in the Fields Church, in Trafalgar Square, West End.

In March, Westminster Coroner Dr Paul Knapman, who normally records suspicious deaths, had the pleasure of registering the jewels as treasure - his first in 30 years. He said: "The find was rather more felicitous than dealing with an inquest into a death."

History boy

A self-dubbed 'cowboy in a turban' rides into Hounslow to learn more about his great-great-grandfather's proud military history.

Paramvir Singh Chattwal, of Hounslow, claims to be the world's only Sikh rodeo star after taking up the sport while living in Texas.

But he hung up his spurs to track down information about his decorated forefather, who he believes died in or around the town.

Risaldar Major Sher Singh Sirdar Bahadoor was an original member of the Punjab Frontier Force, formed in 1849, and helped escort the Koh-i-noor diamond, then the largest in the world, on a perilous mission across India.

Seeing red

A schoolboy was sent home on his first day back at school - for having a one-inch ginger fringe.

Felix Kramer, 15, had been back at Isleworth and Syon School for Boys for less than an hour on September 5, before getting booted out - even though his brown hair was not dyed, it was simply bleached ginger by the sun.

The GCSE student said: "I was shocked as my hair goes like this every year, but they said it wasn't acceptable.

"My dad was quite angry about it and said I should get the school to pay for my haircut."

Cash flow

A vicar hoped to buy a Fulham public toilet and convert it into a debt counselling office.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council put the North End Road public conveniences up for auction in October with a guide price of £120,000.

The Rev Mark Osborne, of St John's Church in North End Road, said: "We are in an area of desperate social need and this could be converted into something to help the community. That is why I am interested in these manky old toilets."

Hawk-eye

A bird of prey called Maverick swooped over west London rooftops in a bid to scare away nuisance pigeons.

The Harris hawk was making regular fly-bys in Perham Road, West Kensington, after residents complained about pigeon droppings.

With a wingspan of 18in and weighing 1lb 8oz, 10-year-old Maverick was trained by falconer Mark Wilson, 31.

"He eats any kind of raw meat, and I feed him good old British beef in public, but at weekends I'll give him dead mice and rats," he said.

Meaty issue

As the credit crunch started to bite Tesco began fixing security tags to chickens and other meats to stop them being stolen from the shelves from cash-strapped starving shoppers.

A supermarket spokesman said the measure at its branch in Broad Lane, Teddington, was introduced due to 'reasonably high levels' of theft at the store.

Bird-brained

A parrot owner from Chelsea was all of a flutter after his feathered friend was banned from Brighton Pier during a trip to the seaside.

Joe Stafford, 72, of Chelsea Manor Court, goes nearly everywhere with his talking parrot - Maxi, aged 11. That was until he went to sample the sea air at Brighton, where the yellow-headed Amazon was barred from the seagull-packed pier for 'health and safety' reasons.

"Mr Stafford explained: "I still feel it's absolutely ridiculous. I could understand if someone took a cow on the pier, but not a parrot."

Rescue dog

A faithful sheepdog saved her owners' lives by waking them after arsonists tried to torch their pub.

The Old George in Heston, would almost certainly have gone up in flames had four-year-old Polly not alerted managers Duncan and Catherine Townsend.

Arsonists threw a flaming bottle through the pub's window in the early hours of September 30, setting the bar alight.

"We almost certainly wouldn't be here to tell the tale if Polly hadn't woken us by barking," said Duncan, a former coach of London Scottish Rugby Club.

Spar-Kling

They came from galaxies far and wide, but a Hounslow trekkie overcame tough competition to win the top prize at an international Star Trek contest.

Part-time Klingon Richard Todd, 41, spends two-and-a-half hours getting into costume and was thrilled to win a Mekleth, or Klingon sword, for his trouble.

The following week he was still revelling in his success despite being involved in a serious crash the day after the contest.

But he admitted his Klingon was limited, with travellers' favourite 'where is the toilet?' his only complete phrase.