This is what caused the strange, flashing lights spotted in the sky over Chorley and Buckshaw last night

....It was just zombies!

The lights flashing across the night sky - spotted as far away as Bolton - were part of a 'zombie apocalypse' breaking out at the former Camelot theme park in Charnock Richard.

It was the opening weekend of Camelot Rises - the zombie infested horror drive-in experience where thrillseekers park up at the former theme park to watch scary films on the big screen whilst the undead prowl around its eerie grounds.

The interactive horror show featured a blaze of red, blue and green lasers, as well as white strobe lights which beamed around the park between 7pm and 11pm.

The lights were seen far and wide, with reports coming in from Chorley, Leyland, Euxton, Buckshaw, Coppull, Eccleston, Adlington and Standish.

Some of those unaware of the Camelot Rises event took to Facebook to share their sightings of the 'weird' and 'strange' lights pulsing across the night sky.

They asked, was it sheet lightning? Search and rescue teams? Police helicopters? Whilst others quipped that the lights might be of a more extraterrestrials origin.

A curious Melissa Reid asked: "Has anyone else noticed the weird blue lights in the skies over Chorley/Buckshaw area? I could see them from Bolton too, driving home towards the village."

"Like some kind of search lights in a fan pattern? I saw them earlier too," wondered another Buckshaw resident.

"It was like sheet lightning but a bit weird. I thought Camelot was closed?," asked another in Coppull.

"It's not me imagining it, but has anybody else seen the flashing lights in the sky?," asked a Chorley skywatcher.

"I was driving back from Bolton on the motorway and thinking what the heck the flashing sky was!," added another.

We were invited for a sneak preview of Camelot Rises ahead of its official opening at the weekend. You can read our review here.

And for more details on the attraction, take a look at our full explainer here, as well as our picture gallery here.

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