Christchurch man sees UFO

A Christchurch man is at a loss to explain the "flying saucer'' he saw zooming around the Brooklands skyline early this morning.

Campbell Nisbet, 20, was listening to the radio at around 1.30am, while lying on his bed, looking out the window when he saw a "strange'' red light.

"It was close to the ground, moving really fast in a spiral motion. It actually changed from clockwise to anti-clockwise at one point doing a strange zig-zaggy circuit. I thought, `that can't be a plane, planes aren't that stupid','' he said.

Nisbet said the light appeared to come toward him and "went on an angle'' where he could see the outline of a "flying saucer''.

He tried to take a photo of the unidentified object with his cellphone, but it was moving too quickly.

Nisbet estimated the object was about 60m off the ground and said it travelled erratically "towards Kaikoura or Blenheim''.

His brother, James, was asleep in the same room, but Nisbet was unable to wake him in time.

The light disappeared after about 20 minutes.

Nisbet said he had always thought there was "something out there'' but admitted he was "freaked out'' when he saw the light come towards him.

He had not been drinking prior to the incident.

Did you see anything early this morning? Email reporters@press.co.nz.