A UFO has been identified as an invader from the planet Argos.

The strange cylindrical object seen hanging in the air above Hollingbury, Brighton, spooked people who thought it was evidence of extraterrestrial activity.

It even had air traffic control in a fluster.

The Argus reported on Wednesday how theatre technician Ben Losh spotted the unidentified object above his home.

But now it turns out the sighting was a close encounter of the toy kind.

A group of teenagers bought the gadget from the catalogue store Argos on Sunday.

When filled with air, the black plastic Solar Airship toy becomes an eight-metre cigar-shaped balloon.

The sun's rays heat it up and the hot air inside the balloon causes it to rise.

Normally, users can hold on to the balloon with string but when the students from Varndean School took the reins, the string snapped.

Tom Collins, 16, of Fiveways, Brighton, said: "We just took it to the field near the school to play with it.

"We let it go but the string broke and it went out over the golf course and was then just swept off into the distance. Then we saw in The Argus that someone thought it was a UFO."

Mark Fulton, 16, of Hollingbury, said: "I thought it was really funny someone thought it was a UFO."

Mr Losh, of Woodbourne Avenue, filmed the object with his video camera as it soared above Hollingbury on Tuesday.

It appeared to be the second UFO sighting in Brighton in two months after a glowing globe was seen near Shoreham Airport last month.

Mr Losh, 32, said: "One of the reasons for calling The Argus was to try to find out what it was.

"You could say I'm a bit disappointed it was not a UFO but it has brightened up everyone's lives and that's the main thing."

Meanwhile, the Solar Airship, made by Wow Stuff Ltd, has continued its tour around Brighton and Hove.

Tennis coach Mel Bowden, 53, of Kemp Town, spotted the object floating above Badgers Tennis Club in Church Place on Wednesday - three days after it was launched.

He said: "It appeared to be about 1,000ft above the ground. A lot of us saw it and I had to stop my lesson."

Janet Goin, health and safety officer at Varndean School, said: "One of the teachers saw the article and let us know.

"People have found it very funny."

Head of science Jon Lamb said: "It's great to see our students taking hands-on science experiments and discoveries into their leisure time."

Robin Williams, an air traffic controller at Shoreham Airport, said: "We had reports about it two or three days ago with people phoning in.

"We didn't have any pilots spotting it because it was too low.

"But we reported in to air traffic control in Swanwick, near Southampton, who control all the airspace in this area."