It was nearly midnight. Two policemen were patrolling the seafront at Porthcawl. Then it happened.....Something rose out of the water on the horizon – something that was blood-red, with a jagged black streak across its centre.
What the policemen saw on Sunday was officially reported last night. The report has gone to “top level.”
Chief-Inspector Reginald Jones, of “D” Division, Glamorgan Police, said that the two policemen thought at first that they were seeing a ship on fire on the horizon towards Ilfracombe.
But then it rose out of the water like a blood-red sun – much larger than a full-sized harvest moon.
As they watched, two more streaks appeared above and below. It remained at sea level, then loved off at “fantastic” speed towards the Atlantic.
WAS IT VENUS?
In London, an Air Ministry spokesman said that one possible explanation of the phenomenon was that it was “a planet playing tricks.”
“What the officers reported seeing is consistent with this.”
“Venus does at certain times of the year play all kinds of tricks – often due to climatic conditions. A reflection of the planet appears in the sky.”
“This is sometimes the explanation of flying saucers.”
A meteorologist said that the most likely explanation was that the policemen saw the Aurora Borealis – Northern Lights – which had been reported as having been seen during the past two or three nights.
Source: Western Mail Wednesday 4 September 1957.

“Just over a week ago, two policemen patrolling Porthcawl promenade, reported seeing a “mysterious red disc” moving across the sky at a fantastic speed. It was seen at the same time over Carmarthen Bay, and again the lifeboat was called out. Porthcawl police reported last night that the lights had not been seen again although a watch was being kept.”

Source: Western Mail 10 September 1957.