I want to believe Pt.2

It is reassuring to report that credulous idiocy is not confined to purely religious matters. People are pefectly willing to race towards moronic conclusions in the secular world too. When Barney Broom began renovating his cottage he discovered a dusty jar in the attic. A jar containing what could best be described as a model of an alien creature.

The delicate 30cm (12 inch) figure of a baby alien is stored in a liquid and has a serial number painted on its four-toed foot. Sculpted from a clay-like substance and painted grey, the model resembles the popular cliched image of extra-terrestrial life. The alien was discovered stored in an old toffee jar wrapped in a copy of the Daily Mirror dating from October 1947.

Some believe the model was left in the loft by a US serviceman working at a nearby US air base. Mr Broom's cottage at Gunthorpe is 45 miles from two large US air bases at RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall.

Mr Broom reported his finding to the Sci Fi Channel, who called in Professor Adam Roberts, an expert in science fiction literature, to examine the creature.

"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."

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."

With that kind of rigourous academic mind one can only assume Roberts became an expert in Sci-Fi literature whilst searching for the coupon to send away for his PhD. If memory serves it was usually to be found between the x-ray glasses and the sea monkeys.