Next time something goes bump in the night, be warned extra terrestrials have been making their presence felt on the outskirts of Luton.

That is the belief of a mysterious customer who arrived in Sharpenhoe pub The Lynmore searching for a crop circle she believed was created by aliens.

The giant five-pointed star shaped design has appeared overnight in a wheat field, and is visible from the top of the Sharpenhoe Clappers.

Its origin is unknown, but staff and regulars at the Lynmore said they suspected it was more likely to be man-made than a sign from above.

Chef Geraldine White said: "The lady came in looking for it with a map printed off a computer. She travels around looking at crop circles and said this was a very good one that had come from a higher being.

"Personally I suspect it's more likely to be two old men in the middle of the night with a plank of wood who go home and giggle about it over a couple of bottles of wine."

She added: "If there are any aliens around here we haven't had them in for a drink, although we do have a few strange customers that might qualify."

Unlike in the West Country, where they have become something of a tourist industry, crop circles in Bedfordshire are rare.

Arguments rage between cerealogists – people who study the circles – and groups of circle-makers as to where they come from.

Most cerealogists believe crop circles are created by UFOs, citing their appearance at Wiltshire flying saucer hotspots with strong mystical connections, mysterious mineral deposits at the sites, and the perfection of the designs.

But in the last decade groups have admitted to creating them with planks of wood on their feet to press down the crops, paying careful attention to convincing details.

The two men credited with kickstarting the nocturnal pastime are Hampshire-based artists Doug Bower and Dave Chorley. In 1991 they owned up to making circles for 12 years, inspired by a conversation on the way home from the pub about strange circles appearing in Australian cornfields.

One person not amused by the Sharpenhoe crop circle's appearance is the farmer, who said it has cost him at least £300.

He said: "I know people think it's weird and wonderful and done by aliens, but it isn't, it's bloody vandalism. It's obviously man-made and has damaged the crops."

He asked the Herald & Post to keep the exact location secret, because people investigating the circle on the floor would trample his field.

We can reveal that the best place to see it is from the top of the Sharpenhoe Clappers, but ask readers to respect his wishes.