Aliens exist and could already be on earth, first British astronaut says

The first British astronaut to go into space has claimed aliens exist and it is possible they are living among us on earth.

© Getty British astronaut Dr Helen Sharman says aliens exist

Speaking to the Observer Magazine, Dr Helen Sharman said "there's no two ways" that aliens exist.

"There are so many billions of stars out there in the universe that there must be all sorts of different forms of life," she added.

Dr Sharman said that although aliens may not be made up of carbon and nitrogen like humans, "it's possible they're here right now and we simply can't see them".

The 56-year-old worked as a chemist before making history as the first British astronaut to participate in a mission to the Soviet modular space station Mir in May 1991.

She also highlighted in the interview that she is often referred to as the first British woman in space, rather than simply the first Briton.

"It's telling that we would otherwise assume it was a man," she said.

"When Tim Peake went into space, some people simply forgot about me. A man going first would be the norm, so I'm thrilled that I got to upset that order."

In September last year, three videos purporting to be leaked military footage of UFOs were claimed as genuine by the US Navy.