Cause of 'Stranger Things' pink lights over Yorkshire town revealed

A strange, pink glow illuminating the skies over East Yorkshire has led people to believe they had seen the Northern Lights.

Some even thought the mystery hue was the hallmark of extra terrestrials.

But the earthly reality is a little less exciting... unless you're an avid gardener, that is.

Bursting the bubble, Nick Denham, managing director of the business behind the glow, explained: "It's LED lights used for growing plants."

Mr Denham's company is the UK's biggest plant propagator, turning seeds into young plants which are then shipped off to growers, before eventually supplying the nation's supermarkets .

The Plant Raisers firm, which employs up to 100 people, has been at its Howden premises, off the M62, for years.

So why are people only seeing the pink lights now?

Mr Denham said: "Because of the energy crisis we had to invest heavily in LED lights. But it means the light is pink and not white that people saw before."

Lighting was needed to "manipulate day-length" in order for the firm to maximise plant growth, he explained.

Ruby Hilson, an amateur astronomer who lives nearby, described the first time she saw the illumination.

She said: "I was like, whoa what on earth is that":[]}