PICTURES taken by a Worcester family show what they claim is a “fireball” streaking across the Worcester night sky.

The object which had “orange flames coming from its top and sides” was spotted in Worcester at 10.15pm on Thursday.

Rob Giles, aged 59, was driving his daughter and niece home when he looked up to see the bright object up above in the clear sky.

He said: “It just came right over the top of us heading towards the north east. I just stopped the car and got out. I was telling my daughter to take a photo.”

Mr Giles’ 24-year-old daughter Sharon managed to snap the fiery object, as did his niece Kate Skibinski, also of Holly Mount Road, Tolladine.

“It was totally bizarre. I’m not sure what it was,” said the 27-year-old.

“It wasn't an aeroplane because they have flashing lights. It could have been a meteorite.”

In another twist, when Miss Skibinski phoned her father in Bristol, he claimed a similar object had streaked across the city’s sky at about 10.30pm the same evening.

The three, who were all sober at the time of the sighting, lost site of the ‘fireball’ in Warndon Villages.

Space expert Kevin Yates, space communications manager at the Government’s Earth Object Information Centre, in Leicester, said it was likely the object was a meteorite.

“From past experience, these things can be no bigger than a grain of sand and still give a good show. They’re spectacular and fascinating to watch,” he said.

He said there had been no reports from the RAF radar net at Fylingdales about any large objects falling.