Alan Godfrey's Todmorden UFO Encounter Explained

Introduction

The case remains controversial because its strongest elements are also its most disputed. Godfrey was a serving police officer who reported the event through official channels, but the most extraordinary parts of the story — including an alleged encounter with occupants recovered through hypnosis — rely largely on his own later recollections. Supporters view the incident as a well-documented close encounter; sceptics argue that the available evidence does not demonstrate anything beyond an unusual personal experience with several possible ordinary explanations.[UAP Codex]uapcodex.orgUAP Codex Todmorden · PC Alan Godfrey · UAP CodexUAP Codex Todmorden · PC Alan Godfrey · UAP Codex

What happened on the Todmorden road?

The sighting before dawn

In the early hours of 28 November 1980, Godfrey was driving a police vehicle around Todmorden during a night shift. He was looking for stray cows when he saw what he initially thought was a vehicle positioned across the road. As he approached, he reported that the object was not a conventional vehicle but a large, bright, diamond-shaped or flattened object hovering above the road surface.[UAP Codex]uapcodex.orgUAP Codex Todmorden · PC Alan Godfrey · UAP CodexUAP Codex Todmorden · PC Alan Godfrey · UAP Codex

According to Godfrey’s account, the object had a rotating lower section, visible windows or panels, and produced effects on the surrounding area, including movement of nearby vegetation. He estimated that it was several metres across and hovering only a short distance above the ground. He stopped his vehicle and made a sketch of the object in his notebook, a detail that became one of the most frequently cited pieces of supporting evidence because it was recorded close to the time of the event rather than created years later.[UAP Codex]uapcodex.orgUAP Codex Todmorden · PC Alan Godfrey · UAP CodexUAP Codex Todmorden · PC Alan Godfrey · UAP Codex

Godfrey also reported that he tried to use his police radio but was unable to make contact during the incident. He then described a sudden interruption in his experience: after seeing a flash or bright light, he found himself driving further along the road, with the object gone and a period of time apparently missing from his memory. Later accounts placed the missing interval at roughly several minutes rather than hours, although the exact duration varies between retellings.[Sky HISTORY TV channel]history.co.ukOpen source on history.co.uk.

What evidence exists beyond Godfrey’s testimony?

The case is unusual because it includes some contemporary documentation, but very little independent physical evidence that can be examined today.

Godfrey made an official report after the incident and investigators later examined the location. Accounts from UFO researchers describe a patch of road that appeared dry despite recent rain, with a swirling pattern on the surface. This observation became an important part of the case narrative, although it was not independently verified through modern forensic testing.[UAP Codex]uapcodex.orgUAP Codex Todmorden · PC Alan Godfrey · UAP CodexUAP Codex Todmorden · PC Alan Godfrey · UAP Codex

The physical evidence is therefore limited. The main documented items are:

• Godfrey’s police report describing the encounter.[isaackoi.com]isaackoi.com19801129 alan godfrey encounterIsaac Koi Archive1980.1129 Alan Godfrey encounter | Isaac Koi Archive…
• His sketch of the object made during or immediately after the sighting.
• His account of unusual conditions at the reported landing or hovering location.
• Later investigations by UFO researchers, including work associated with Jenny Randles and David Clarke.[UAP Codex]uapcodex.orgUAP Codex Todmorden · PC Alan Godfrey · UAP CodexUAP Codex Todmorden · PC Alan Godfrey · UAP Codex

The absence of photographs, radar records, independent witnesses to the object itself, or recoverable material evidence means the case depends heavily on assessing Godfrey’s reliability as a witness.

Why did the alleged abduction become part of the story?

The most famous and controversial part of the case emerged later, when Godfrey underwent hypnotic regression sessions intended to recover memories connected with the missing time. During these sessions he described being taken aboard the object and encountering strange figures, including a human-like being and other entities. These details transformed the case from a UFO sighting into an alleged alien abduction account.[Isaac Koi Archive]isaackoi.com19801129 alan godfrey encounterIsaac Koi Archive1980.1129 Alan Godfrey encounter | Isaac Koi Archive…

However, hypnotic regression is highly disputed as a method for recovering accurate memories. Modern psychological research has shown that hypnosis can increase confidence in memories without necessarily increasing their accuracy, because suggestions and imagination can become incorporated into recollections. For this reason, many researchers treat the abduction narrative as much weaker evidence than the original sighting report.[UAP Codex]uapcodex.orgUAP Codex Todmorden · PC Alan Godfrey · UAP CodexUAP Codex Todmorden · PC Alan Godfrey · UAP Codex

Godfrey himself has reportedly expressed uncertainty about how to interpret these later memories, distinguishing between his confidence that something unusual happened and uncertainty about what the recovered imagery represented.[Reddit]reddit.comPolice constable Alan Godfrey's abduction in West Yorkshire, England DatePolice constable Alan Godfrey's abduction in West Yorkshire, England Date: November 28, 1980 Location: Todmorden, West Yorkshire, U…Published: November 28, 1980

How the Zygmunt Adamski mystery became linked to the case

The Todmorden encounter is often discussed alongside the earlier death of miner Zygmunt Adamski, whose body was found in the area in June 1980 under unusual circumstances. Some UFO writers have suggested a connection between Adamski’s death and Godfrey’s sighting because both events occurred around Todmorden in the same year.[Sky HISTORY TV channel]history.co.ukOpen source on history.co.uk.

The link, however, remains speculative. Adamski’s death was investigated as a separate matter, and no established evidence connects it to Godfrey’s reported encounter. The association grew largely because of the coincidence of location and timing rather than because investigators demonstrated a direct relationship.[Sky HISTORY TV channel]history.co.ukOpen source on history.co.uk.

Competing explanations for the encounter

The case for an unexplained event

Supporters of the case point to several factors:

For many UFO researchers, the significance of the case lies not in proving an extraterrestrial craft but in the fact that a trained observer reported an unusual experience with some associated documentation.

The case for ordinary explanations

Sceptical interpretations focus on the limitations of the evidence. A single witness, even a reliable one, can misidentify lights, vehicles, atmospheric phenomena, or unfamiliar objects, especially during a dark early-morning patrol. The missing-time element is also open to psychological explanations, including stress, confusion, or an altered perception of events.[UAP Codex]uapcodex.orgUAP Codex Todmorden · PC Alan Godfrey · UAP CodexUAP Codex Todmorden · PC Alan Godfrey · UAP Codex

The later hypnosis sessions create an additional problem for investigators because they add dramatic details while also reducing confidence that those details represent recovered factual memories. From this perspective, the strongest part of the case is the original sighting report, while the abduction narrative is much less secure.[UAP Codex]uapcodex.orgUAP Codex Todmorden · PC Alan Godfrey · UAP CodexUAP Codex Todmorden · PC Alan Godfrey · UAP Codex

Why the Alan Godfrey encounter remains famous

The lasting appeal of the Todmorden case comes from the combination of ordinary and extraordinary elements. A police officer on routine duty reported an event that appeared to disrupt his normal understanding of what had happened, creating a story that sits between a conventional witness report and a classic UFO encounter narrative.

Unlike many UFO stories built mainly around anonymous witnesses or vague rumours, the Godfrey case has a named witness, contemporary documentation, and decades of investigation. At the same time, the evidence never progressed to the level that would settle the central question: whether Godfrey encountered an unknown physical object, experienced a misinterpretation of an ordinary event, or went through a more complex psychological experience.

For that reason, the 1980 Todmorden incident remains one of Britain’s most discussed UFO cases — not because it provides a definitive answer, but because it illustrates the difficult boundary between unusual testimony, incomplete evidence, and competing interpretations of extraordinary experiences.[UAP Codex]uapcodex.orgUAP Codex Todmorden · PC Alan Godfrey · UAP CodexUAP Codex Todmorden · PC Alan Godfrey · UAP Codex

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Endnotes

1. Source: uapcodex.org
Title: UAP Codex Todmorden · PC Alan Godfrey · UAP Codex
Link:https://uapcodex.org/cases/todmorden-godfrey-1980/

2. Source: history.co.uk
Link:https://www.history.co.uk/articles/the-todmorden-ufo-mystery-a-close-encounter-in-west-yorkshire

3. Source: reddit.com
Title: Police constable Alan Godfrey’s abduction in West Yorkshire, England Date
Link:https://www.reddit.com/r/abovethenormnews/comments/1arqsy0

Published: November 28, 1980

4. Source: isaackoi.com
Title: 19801129 alan godfrey encounter
Link:https://isaackoi.com/ufo-history/ufo/19801129-alan-godfrey-encounter/

5. Source: abovethenormnews.com
Link:https://www.abovethenormnews.com/2025/03/18/the-missing-minutes-police-officer-alan-godfreys-alien-abduction-on-burnley-road/

Published: March 18, 2025

6. Source: unidentifiedphenomena.com
Title: alan godfrey encounter
Link:https://unidentifiedphenomena.com/incidents/alan-godfrey-encounter/

7. Source: tvi.show
Title: the 1980 todmorden incident
Link:https://www.tvi.show/close-encounters/the-1980-todmorden-incident

Additional References

8. Source: calderdalecompanion.co.uk
Title: Calderdale Companion Malcolm Bull’s Calderdale Companion: Foldout
Link:https://www.calderdalecompanion.co.uk/mmg222.html

Published: July 11, 2025

9. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48JJ7zwKusc

10. Source: youtube.com
Title: Officer Encounters Diamond-Shaped UFO In West Yorkshire
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Zy9TL2Iob8

11. Source: youtube.com
Title: The Extra-Terrestrial Abduction of Alan Godfrey | UFO Conspiracies
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg31kbdgtJc

12. Source: youtube.com
Title: Craig Charles: UFO Conspiracies | Episode 8 | Alan Godfrey
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eem8siEApzU

13. Source: podcasts.apple.com
Link:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-todmorden-ufo/id1806535967?i=1000758162345

Published: March 30, 2026

14. Source: gold.ac.uk
Link:https://www.gold.ac.uk/calendar/?id=3234

15. Source: obnb.uk
Link:https://obnb.uk/a00114346-jenny-randles

16. Source: helpwithdiy.com
Link:https://www.helpwithdiy.com/ufo-alley/

17. Source: player.fm
Link:https://player.fm/series/uncanny/case-3-the-todmorden-ufo