A support group for people who claim to have been in contact with beings from other worlds is holding a conference to enable people to come forward with their experiences.

The Anomalous Mind Management, Abductee, Contactee Helpline (Ammach) is holding its conference in Hastings at the end of May featuring speakers who say they have been in touch with aliens and researchers specialising in the field.

The organisation is run by Joanne Summerscales from Hastings, who says it is important for people with these experiences to have someone to talk to.

She said: “We aim to provide a safe platform for them to tell their stories without ridicule and fear.

“I do not believe everything I hear but if something strange happened to us we would want to have the ability to tell someone about it without fear.”

Ms Summerscales said that since she started the project three years ago she has been contacted by 1,500 people who have experi- enced alien contact.

The contactees – those who make conscious contact with extraterrestrials – and abductees – those who are taken to alien craft – come from all over the world.