Close encounters of the policing kind as Midland cops probe the supernatural

Such supernatural phenomena are usually the stuff of science fiction, but it appears many are convinced that the X Files had it right when it told us: "The truth is out there."

In 2013, West Midlands Police received 18 reports involving the terms 'ghosts', 'UFOs/aliens', 'werewolves', or 'witches', new figures reveal. The figures, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, also show that officers from the force were sent out to respond to five of these matters, although it is not known how long they spent dealing with them.

Force spokesman Billy Corrigan said: "Our officers routinely see the consequences of spirits when things go bump... but that tends to be of a night when the pubs have closed their doors and we're making sure people get home safely."

But he added that the figures did raise serious issues, saying: "While the figures can seem amusing, behind some of these 'supernatural' calls may be a deeply troubled individual or a person wasting valuable police time which would be better spent preventing real crimes.

"West Midlands Police always take action against those found to be knowingly making false and malicious calls to the emergency services."

Explaining the procedure for handling such reports, spokeswoman Susan Brown, from the force's Freedom of Information Unit, added: "We would assess the facts of the case, the vulnerability of the caller and would deploy a policing resource in line with the threat or risk to the caller, in line with our grading policy."

Meanwhile, it seems Staffordshire's residents are more sceptical towards things that go bump in the night. Staffordshire Police received only one report containing any of those same words in 2013. The caller had dialled 999 to tell of unexplainable noises outside his house, which he attributed to a UFO. On that occasion, an officer attended the scene and dealt with him as a vulnerable person, ensuring he had appropriate support, which took one hour and 15 minutes.

West Mercia's residents appear to be just as uninterested in mysticism as those in Staffordshire. Only one person called West Mercia Police in 2013 to report anything involving any of the same terms. It was a reported spaceship, but in this case the person was given a UFO reporting line and the call lasted all of three minutes.

Force spokesman Toby Shergold said: "We do not have a specific policy to deal with such calls and they are all treated on their merits. Although we have very few, we record each call and provide reassurance where needed that the member of the public can re-contact us if they have further concerns."