Solène Roche

If you've got a sneaking suspicion that there is alien life out there, you are, er, not alone!

In fact, a study shows 95 per cent of us – including top academics, doctors and scientists – believe in extra-terrestrial beings … but we won't admit it.

Fear of being laughed at has meant most people say they don't believe in galaxies far, far away.

To investigate belief in extra-terrestrial life, researchers from Harvard University in the US and Reichman University in Israel quizzed 6,114 highly-educated and scientifically interested people with degrees, postgraduate qualifications and doctorates.

The average age was 49, with most based in the UK, US, Spain and Canada.

The study found that 95 per cent believed extra-terrestrial intelligent life exists. Only one per cent – just 60 people – believed alien life definitely or probably does not exist.