FIGHTER jets and alien spacecraft are among explanations after a series of mysterious explosions were heard across Sussex.

Residents said they heard multiple large bangs on Saturday evening but so far no definitive explanation has been offered as to the source.

The noises were described as sounding like “massive fireworks” and were heard across the country from Brighton up to Glasgow.

Explanations include air force jets, naval exercises and aliens plus conventional claims of fireworks and thunder.

Steve Evans, of Preston Park, said he heard about “four or five” bangs and speculated they could have been sonic booms from RAF Typhoons.

The 42-year-old said: “We thought it was someone letting off fireworks and did not really think anything of it but I went on Twitter and loads of people all over the country were saying they had heard it.

“They were properly loud, not like cars backfiring, and even louder than you would expect a firework to be.”

He added: “For loads of people all over to hear it you just wonder what is going on.”

Dad James Wallin, 34, of Hanover Street, said: “I had just put my son to bed when we heard a single low bang. It was about 9pm. At first I thought the baby had fallen out of bed but he was fine and we realised the strange booming sound had come from outside.”

Social media users reported their experiences on Twitter using the hashtag #omgweareallgoingtodie.

One Brighton user said: “Heard loud bangs here. Seem to be heard all over the UK – aliens?” while others reported sounds in Worthing and Crawley. A police spokesman said they had no information about the unusual sounds.

Last month a large explosion heard over Kent was revealed to be a sonic boom from RAF fighter jets intercepting a Latvian cargo plane which had disappeared from radar screens.

An RAF spokesman said after that incident that their planes “only go supersonic over land when it is absolutely necessary”. The Ministry of Defence denied any knowledge of fighters being scrambled on Saturday.