cryptogon.com

The 370 children at Southway Junior School, in Burgess Hill, west Sussex, saw a ‘spaceship’ crash near their school and then aliens grabbed a member of staff as part of the performance.

The ‘alien invasion’ show, which was supported by Sussex Police, took place without parents being informed, leaving some furious that they had to comfort their terrified children.

The event was designed to “develop youngsters writing skills” and fire their imagination – but some children were left traumatised by the show.

Southway School admitted that a number of parents complained after their children returned home in a “state of shock”.

Youngsters had to be reassured that the abducted member of staff was safe and well after he was carted off by the aliens.

Police contributed to the invasion by providing sirens and flashing blue lights to signify the landing of the craft just before morning classes on July 10.

Diana Goss, the headteacher, informed pupils that an alien craft had crashed near the school and pupils were encouraged to “follow a trail of debris” before stumbling across the UFO.

A member of staff was then abducted by aliens before the children were sent back to class.

One parent, who did not want to be named, said he daughter had come home in tears.

She said: “God only knows what the school was playing at.

“I mean to shock children into thinking that the aliens have landed and have abducted a teacher is just a little too much for seven-year-olds.

“My daughter was deeply upset by it all and came home looking shell shocked.

“She wasn’t sure what had happened and really wanted to know that everything was going to be alright.”

Another parent said: “By all accounts it sounds like something out of that film Mars Attacks or War of the Worlds. I don’t know what the school was thinking.”

In 1938 thousands of Americans were left terrified after a broadcast by Orson Welles describing an alien invasion.