I learned of the existence of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in the UK Air Defence Region, or ‘the Condign report’ as it was code-named, a quarter of a century ago.
It later emerged that defence scientist Ron Haddow was commissioned to write the report in 1996 as he was regarded by DI55, the Defence Intelligence branch responsible for UFO investigations, as their expert on the subject.
But for two decades the Ministry of Defence has insisted that sections of volume 2 – stamped NATO Secret -including text and two images that relate to ‘Black and other aircraft as UAP [UFO] events’ must be kept secret as they engage exemption 24 (National Security) and exemption 27 (international relations) of the Freedom of Information Act.
Yet despite this apparently unequivocal conclusion, in June 2026 they released the redacted images and text. Read all about what they reveal on my Substack blog here.
David Clarke is Associate Professor in the Department of Media Arts and Communication at Sheffield Hallam University, UK. He teaches media law and his research specialism is contemporary legend. Previously he worked as a journalist for The Sheffield Star and Yorkshire Post and spent four years working as a Press Officer in local government. His PhD in Folklore and was completed at the National Centre for English Cultural Tradition, University of Sheffield, in 1999. From 2008-13 he acted as consultant and curator of the MoD UFO files project with The National Archives. His books include The Angel of Mons (2004) and How UFOs Conquered the World: the history of a modern myth (2015). In 2018 he co-founded the Centre for Contemporary Legend at Sheffield Hallam University. This blog covers his twin research interests in journalism and folklore. The views expressed in the contents are entirely his own.
drdavidclarke.co.uk 