Not only did Mr Villa, who died aged 65 in 1981, claim to have had the good fortune to photograph the spaceships, he said he communicated with them and they welcomed his attention.

The pictures went down in UFO history as being the clearest and most extraordinary captures of alleged alien crafts.

Mr Villa claimed that he had been taught telepathy by aliens from the age of five.

He was regarded locally as a gifted mathematician, electrician, physicist and mechanic who was unusually able to spot defects in engines.

Mr Villa’s story when he unveiled the historic pictures was that in the five years before the sighting, he had seen around five flying saucers visit Earth.

He said that 10 years earlier in 1953, he felt an urge to go to the coast at Long Beach, California, while he was working, and encountered a man of seven-feet tall, who was of “superior intelligence” and communicated with him

“He then told me to look out beyond the reef. I saw a metallic looking disc-shaped object that seemed to be floating on the water.

“Then the spaceman asked me if I would I like to go aboard the craft and look around, and I went with him.”

He described meeting “extremely good looking humanoids” on board, who explained to him how the universe worked.

He didn’t take any pictures on that occasion, but claims in 1963 to have been telepathically told to drive alone to where he snapped the saucers.

Mr Villa used a Japanesee Rokuoh-Sha camera with a 75mm lens and 120 Kodak film.

Two years later he claims he was telepathically told to travel to Bernalillo, New Mexico on Easter Sunday, April 18, 1965.

He said the craft he snapped on that occasion blasted a laser that caused a small bush fire.

The images, as expected caused a news frenzy at the time, and have gone down in history as the best ever snaps of alleged alien flying saucers.

However, what was less reported afterwards were the results of analysis by the US Air Force, after Mr Villa provided them for investigation.

The conclusion was made that Mr Villa was a hoaxer who had used small models of the various crafts to effect the images.

Captain William L Turner, chief of the Air Force photo analysis division gave a report to Project Blue Book, which investigated alleged UFO sightings.