Quick Info
On the morning of November 9, 1979, in Dechmont Woods near Livingston, Scotland, forester Robert Taylor was walking his dog when he saw a large spherical UFO descend into a clearing. Suddenly, two small spiky robotic objects detached from the UFO and attacked him, ripping his clothes and leaving him unconscious on the ground.
When Robert woke, everything was gone. Police investigated, found physical traces, and treated it as an assault. This is one of the most bizarre and physically evidenced UFO close encounters in UK history, the only case where a UFO encounter led to a criminal police report. Make sure to check out the video below to hear Robert himself describe this terrifying event.
Timeline of Events – November 9, 1979
Reconstructed from Robert Taylor’s testimony, police reports, forensic evidence, and later interviews with Taylor and investigators.
- Morning, November 9, 1979 ~10:30 a.m. Robert Taylor, a 61-year-old forester, is walking his dog in Dechmont Woods (Dechmont Law), Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland. He is checking fences and trees for a local company.
- Sighting begins Taylor sees a large spherical object (about 20–30 feet wide) descend from the sky into a clearing. It is dark gray, metallic, with a dome on top and spikes or legs underneath. It hovers silently, then lands softly on the grass.
- Robotic objects attack Two smaller objects (about 3 feet wide, spiky, metallic) detach from the main craft and rush toward Taylor. They make a hissing or grinding sound. They attack him, ripping his trousers and coat. Taylor feels a pulling sensation and loses consciousness.
- Regaining consciousness Taylor wakes up about 20 minutes later. The UFO and robots are gone. He is dazed, bleeding from head wounds, clothes torn. His dog is missing (found later, unharmed). He stumbles home and calls police.
- Police investigation Police treat it as an assault. They find physical traces at the site: circular ground marks, ladder-like indentations, torn clothing with unusual tears. Taylor passes medical exams and polygraph. No hoax evidence found.
- Aftermath & legacy The case gains national attention. Taylor sticks to his story until his death in 2007. Police file remains open as unexplained. One of the few UFO cases officially treated as a criminal incident.
What Robert Taylor Described
Robert Taylor was a straightforward, no-nonsense forester, not someone who chased UFO stories. He described the main object as a large sphere (20–30 feet wide), dark gray, metallic, with a dome on top and spikes or legs underneath. It descended silently and landed softly. Two smaller objects (about 3 feet wide, spiky, metallic) detached and rushed at him. They made a hissing or grinding noise. He felt a pulling sensation as they tore his clothes. He passed out from the attack. When he woke, everything was gone. He had head wounds, torn clothing, and his dog was missing (found later, terrified). Taylor’s story never changed, he passed police questioning and polygraph tests.
"It was a big sphere, dark gray, with a dome on top and spikes underneath. Two smaller things came out, spiky, like hedgehogs made of metal. They rushed at me, made a hissing noise. They tore my trousers and coat. I felt a pulling, then blacked out."
– Robert Taylor (1979 police statement & interviews)
Taylor’s description is so specific and matter-of-fact it’s hard to dismiss. He was a practical man, he didn’t talk about little green men or telepathy. He described robots attacking him like they were trying to drag him somewhere. The physical damage to his clothes backs up every word.
"When I came to, they were gone. My clothes were torn, head bleeding. The dog was gone, found later shaking. There were marks in the ground, circles and ladder patterns. Police saw them too."
– Robert Taylor (later testimony)
The ground traces are what make this case so strong. Police photographed circular depressions and ladder-like indentations in the soil, exactly where Robert said the craft and robots were. The sulfur smell he reported was also noted by officers. It wasn’t just his word, there was physical evidence.
Great video on this event from @EyesOnCinema on YouTube
More videos from @EyesOnCinema on YouTube
The Official Response & Investigation
Lothian and Borders Police treated it as a serious assault. They interviewed Taylor, took statements, photographed the site, collected torn clothing, and took soil samples. Forensic tests showed unusual damage to the fabric, tears not consistent with normal ripping. No hoax evidence found. The case was logged as a criminal incident (assault by unknown persons). The MoD was informed but never publicly commented. The incident remains open and unexplained in the Police files. No conventional explanation (hoax, animal attack, etc.) has ever fit the evidence.
Legacy
Thinking about this case still makes me pause. A tough, practical forester gets attacked by what he swore were robots from a UFO, and police find physical traces that back him up. No one ever explained the marks in the ground or the tears in his clothes. It leaves me wondering: what was trying to take him that morning? Was it curious, or something more sinister?
Cases like this remind me of other wild encounters like Cisco Grove in 1964, where Don Shrum fought off robots with fire arrows, or the 1979 Valensole landing in France (making a page for this event as you read this!) with physical traces and a paralyzed farmer. Why do these things sometimes turn aggressive? I don’t have the answers, but stories like Robert Taylor’s make you think twice about walking alone in the woods. What would you have done if those things came at you?
