THIS is the bizarre UFO sighting which stunned a Southampton family when it loomed above the motorway.

The Daily Echo has recreated above what they say appeared before them on the M27 near the city. The family of four was travelling west on the motorway near junction 3 when the strange shape came into view. They then followed it on the A31 before it disappeared.

The family wishes to remain anonymous for fear of being ridiculed, but the mother said: "This large dark object was becoming more visible. It appeared to have a triangular shape to it but with our movement and the object's movement it was hard to say a shape for sure."

Her partner, and two children aged eight and 12, all saw the object on Saturday at 6.20pm and described it as triangular from one direction and oval from another with no distinct outline. The 30-year-old said: "It could have been the size of a jumbo jet but it was not moving fast, more hovering. As we went past Rownhams we could see it to our left. I did not feel scared.

"You try to put it down to rational things. It could have been a cloud but when we saw a helicopter beaming its lights down we knew it was something strange. She said: "It was unmissable and with the amount of traffic on the road I refuse to believe thousands of people on the road did not see it. I don't want people to think I am a raving lunatic.

"We saw what we are certain to be a helicopter dwarfed by this large object. The helicopter was quite a bit higher up than the UFO and it was aiming its lights down towards the object.