The UK's top UFO expert Nick Pope has died at the age of 60.

The former Ministry of Defence (MoD) official - who was at the helm of what was dubbed Britain's "UFO Desk" for three years from 1991 to 1994 - passed away a short time after being diagnosed with Stage 4 oesophageal cancer.

His wife Elizabeth Weiss announced his passing on Monday (04.06.26)

She said: "My heart is breaking. Nick passed away this afternoon at our home.

"The last few weeks of his life, even as he suffered, he managed to do a few interviews from home.

"I was so lucky to have met and to have married Nick. He was a wonderful husband. I loved him dearly."

In his statement telling his X followers in March that he had been diagnosed with incurable cancer, Pope paid tribute to his "wonderful" and "incredibly smart wife" Elizabeth, who he described as the "real-life Agent Scully" to his Fox Mulder, the two FBI Special Agents who investigate cases involving paranormal phenomena in TV series The X-Files.

As well as leading Britain's "UFO Desk" in the early '90s, Pope worked on some of the most high-profile UFO sightings and cases, including investigating the case file on The Rendlesham UFO incident that occurred in 1980.

Pope was a prominent campaigner for UFO disclosure and as well as conducting regular interviews on his own findings and evidence he appeared in numerous films about alien life.

He featured in the documentary films God Versus Aliens and The King of UFOs by ufologist Mark Christopher Lee, and the British filmmaker has paid tribute to Pope, describing him as "a great fountain of UFO knowledge".

In a statement released to BANG Showbiz, Mark said: "So sad to have woken up this morning and switched my phone with messages from friends and fellow UFO researchers telling me that Nick Pope had passed away.

"I've known Nick now for over 20 years and he was the first person I'd ever interviewed about UFOs and I was incredibly excited and nervous. I was editor at large for a New York music magazine Dig This Real who were keen for me being a fellow Brit to talk to someone who was being called the UK's real life Fox Mulder! The X Files TV series was massive at the time and it was amazing to learn that we here in the UK had our own X Files and I was about to talk with the man in charge of this!

"He was lovely, and kind and as well as having a fascinating chat on all things UFOs we chatted a lot about music and football - he was a massive Arsenal fan and me a Huddersfield Town fan but we did have the Herbert Chapman connection from the 1920s (he managed both teams to great success). He said to stay in touch and that is exactly what we did over the next 20 odd years. I'd always be picking his brain about what really happened at Rendlesham Forest in 1980 and he'd always be quite cryptic but guarded - he'd of course signed the Official Secrets act and he would never break it.

"It was great in the last few years to have him featured in my films God Versus Aliens and The King of UFOs - we'd interview him from UK whilst he was happy and settled in Tucson Arizona where he'd tell me it was a pleasant 110 in the shade!

"I will miss him knowing he was always there as a great fountain of UFO knowledge and a leading figure in the UFO Disclosure movement. He always had time for those interested in the subject not matter at what level and that is a sign of a great man.

"The words I will always remember him by are his cryptic comments about Rendlesham: 'When you understand the Rendlesham Forest UFO incident you will understand the true nature of UAPs.' I'm still trying to figure that one out!

"RIP Nick and thank you for everything."

Pope once admitted that his work on the Rendlesham Forest incident "keeps me up at night".

The Rendlesham UFO incident - which is the subject of Mark's film The Rendlesham UFO The British Roswell - occurred in the woodlands of Suffolk, England, on 26 December 1980.

The events took place just outside RAF Woodbridge, which was used at the time by the United States Air Force, and military personnel went to investigate "lights" in the surrounding forest and were faced with a metallic, glowing craft.

United States Air Force deputy base commander Lieutenant Colonel Charles I. Halt even went on record to say he'd witnessed a UFO.

Revealing his Stage 4 oesophageal cancer, Pope said: "A while ago, following some digestive issues, I was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. Unfortunately, it's Stage 4 and has metastasized to my liver. While I know that it's kindness and hope that leads people to suggest healers and supposed miracle cures, and to say things like 'fight it', and 'you can beat it', I'm afraid my diagnosis and my situation leaves no doubt whatsoever: I can't beat it.

"What an amazing adventure I've had! A 21-year career at the UK Ministry of Defence, where I got involved in subjects ranging from financial policy to counter-terrorism; from military policing to UAP. And I saved six cows; it's a long story! The things I've done; the places I've been; the people I've met; and the secrets I've been privy to. I wouldn't have swapped it for the world. And then a second career, where my previous government UAP role brought me to the attention of the world's media, leading me to become a regular commentator on TV news shows and documentaries, as well as consulting and acting as spokesperson on various UFO and alien-themed movies, TV series and video games. The media called me the real Fox Mulder!"