American Millionaire Leads Crops Circle Chase

The largest-ever investigation into crop circles has finally got under way with the backing of one of the world's richest men.

For decades,boffins have puzzled over the wierd patterns that appear overnight in fields across southern England.

Now billionaire recluse and former Congressman Laurence Rockefeller's team has set up in England hoping to crack the riddle.

Backed with barrow loads of US dollars,former Hampshire local government officer Colin Andrews has launched into his investigation at several crop circle sites across the Wessex region.

Acknowledged crop circle world expert Mr Andrews,now based in Connecticut,is staying with his daughter in Andover,Hants,while carrying out the work.

This year has already produced a vintage collection of the bizarre phenomenon,which will provide ideal investigation sites for him in his two-month quest for the truth on behalf of Mr Rockefeller.

Mr Andrews would not disclose the exact sum put forward by the American businessman,but described £10,000 as a "gross under-estimate".

He has engaged a firm of private investigators in his search and says the first job is to rule out hoaxers who create patterns,usually under cover of darkness.

The private eye team has already compiled a list of people they suspect of being hoaxers.

"A primary group seem to be London-based individuals.We are going to be trying to get closer to their motives and find out whay people go out of their way to do this."

They hope that after ruling out the work of hoaxers,they can see if there is "still something out there" creating circles in the corn.

Mr Andrews was contacted by Mr Rockefeller after being asked to present his work at the United Nations headquarters in New York in 1994.

New Yorker Mr Rockefeller has had a long interest in UFOs and similar phenomena.

His grandfather was the legendary John D Rockefeller,who amassed a fortune from oil interests.

Former Test Valley borough council engineer Mr Andrews said "He asked me if I would like to submit some research projects to him which he might be able to help finance.

"With his help,we engaged staff in my Connecticut offices and also flew regular flights in aircraft over Wiltshire and Hampshire last year.

"The office is now equipped with seven computers and staff are working on crop circles data from around the world."

He said global positioning technology using satellites helped them locate each formation so they already had some sites highlighted when the work began.

During the investigation,he will use a magnetometer to measure the levels of magnetic fields in a circles.

"Over the years there have been many reports of equipment failing and unusual magnetic readings.I have seen things I cannot account for" he added.

He acknowleged some people's criticism that he has a vested interest in keeping the mystery rolling.

"If the detective agency has conclusive proof they are all man-made,and if science points to that as well,we'll say so.I'll draw a line under it and move on."

* A village pub in the beautiful Vale of Pewsey in Wiltshire is emerging as a centre of scientific research into crop circles.

The pub,in the heart of the crop circle "belt" is being invaded by "croppies" from across the world.

Tourists come from as far away as Japan and New Zealand to find the pub - and fulfil their dream of stumbling on a crop circle.

Many of the travellers have seen the pub's website on the worldwide web,and been inspired by the virtual reality tour or the full colour pictures of "formations" as they are called by those in the know.

Simon Dick,manager of the pub,has encouraged this development by commisioning a mural of the local heritage sites,including Stonehenge,Avebury,the White Horse and Silbury Hill.

The inside of the pub would be hardly recognisable if it weren't for the pool table sitting in the centre of the main room.

The walls are dedicated to formations and a map hangs on the wall,showing the many sites past and present.

A host of theories about the creation of crop circles leads to heated bar room discussions - often in many languages simultaneously.

The landlord added "We are happy to see them as long as they also purchase food and drink.That's the key to it."

* Wiltshire's cornfields are being turned into wierd religious "paintings" this summer.

Bizarre and ancient designs from thousands of years ago are being spotted in the fields of swaying young green corn shoots.

The latest pattern is a near-perfect horus,a mythological ancient Egyptain sun-disc.

It was photographed from a helicopter hovering over a cornfield near the ancient Silbury Hill,near Marlborough,by crop circle researcher Steve Alexander,of Portsmouth.

Earlier this month,at Badbury Castle,near Swindon,he photographed another circle depicting a menorah,a candlestick used in Jewish rituals from Israel.

A hat trick of circles was completed when he filmed a more conventional,but intricate,series of circles at Avebury Trusloe,near Marlborough.

Describing the 500ft long horus,Steve said "If it was man-made,it must have taken hours of work.

"At first I thought it was an emblem off an American car.Then I realised it was a symbolic image from a much earlier age.

"I'm at a loss to explain it.It's a massive formation - totally breathtaking.If you go to the top of the hill you can see it.Apparently it just appeared overnight."

His partner Karen Douglas,who has an interest in Egyptian mythology,said "It's astounding to find in a Wiltshire wheat field,especially after the discovery of the menorah not far away.

"And two years ago the Jewish tree of life formation appeared at Barbury Castle."