Overview
A new retrospective revisits Philip Spencer’s reported 1987 encounter on Ilkley Moor in West Yorkshire, a case that has remained part of Britain’s longstanding UFO folklore. The account centers on a photograph allegedly showing a small humanoid figure and Spencer’s subsequent claim that he saw a dome-shaped craft leave the moor. Published October 30, 2026, by The Alien Archivist, the post also features a Japanese-language interview and a reenactment of the reported events.
The account remains unverified. The material presented does not include independent confirmation of the photograph, outside witnesses to the alleged encounter, or comment from specialists who have examined the image and related claims.
The Reported Encounter
According to the account, Spencer was the pseudonym used by a former British police officer. On December 1, 1987, he was crossing Ilkley Moor in the morning while carrying a camera and compass. In misty conditions, he said he noticed a small humanoid figure ahead of him.
Spencer described the figure as approximately four feet tall, dark green in color, with a large head and long, thin arms. He reportedly saw it raise one arm before moving away and said he was able to take a single photograph. The image has since been circulated by UFO researchers as purported evidence of an unusual being on the moor, although the source material does not establish the image’s authenticity or conclusively identify the object shown.
Spencer said he followed the figure and then observed what appeared to be a silver, dome-shaped craft rising from the moor and disappearing into the sky. After leaving the area, he reportedly noticed that his compass was behaving abnormally. He also believed that a portion of the morning was missing from his memory, details that later became central to interpretations of the incident.
Subsequent Investigation
On December 3, 1987, two days after the alleged encounter, Spencer contacted UFO researcher Jenny Randles. His initial report, as summarized in the retrospective, included the humanoid sighting, the photograph, and the departure of the craft.
In March 1988, Spencer underwent hypnotic regression with clinical psychologist Jim Singleton. During the session, he described being approached by one of the beings and becoming unable to move. He then recalled being taken aboard a craft containing several similar entities. Such recollections are part of the case’s later narrative, but hypnosis is widely regarded as an unreliable method for recovering accurate memories, because questioning and suggestion can influence recollection.
Context and Limitations
The Ilkley Moor story combines several familiar elements of alleged close-encounter reports: a strange figure, an apparent vehicle, unusual instrument behavior, missing time, and memories later expanded through regression. The newly published material presents the episode through an interview and dramatized reenactment, offering viewers a way to revisit Spencer’s version of events.
However, the retrospective does not provide independent verification, newly documented physical evidence, or expert analysis that would resolve whether the photograph depicts a humanoid figure, an ordinary object, or an artifact of perspective and image quality. As a result, the episode remains a historical UFO claim rather than established evidence of extraterrestrial activity.
