It is considered by some alien investigators as one of the most compelling UFO cases on record – due to the scorched ring left in the ground – allegedly when the UFO landed.

The witness was Ron Johnson, 16, who was tending sheep on his family’s farm with dog Snowball, at about 7pm, when he spotted a six to eight feet diameter mushroom-shaped UFO appearing in the night sky.

He alerted his parents who saw it disappearing from view.

But, the family found a glowing ring on the ground where it had landed, and a similar material on trees nearby.

The family said the glow “felt strange, like a slick crust, as if the soil was crystallised,” and Mrs Johnson was left with a numbing anaesthetic sensation on her hand after touching it.

Samples of soil, which was said to have a profound water repellant nature from within the ring were sent for analysis and stored in a number of laboratories.

Another witness also came forward, a Lester Ensbarger from Minneapolis, who advised Deputy Sheriff Leonard Simpson that at 7.30 pm the same night, he saw a bright light descending in the sky in Delphos.

According to website ufocasebook.com: “The experience of Ron Johnson is still considered as one of the best documented ‘ground trace’ UFO cases of the past century, and is still unexplainable by any conventional or earthly means.”

Dr Faruk, who admits to a lifelong interest in the UFO phenomenon, focussed his work on investigating the chemical make up of the soil from the ring.

He was able to obtain some of the stored solid after requesting it while based at Nottingham University.