The monolith invasion continues: Silver columns appear in Germany and Spain following other sightings in America, Colombia and Britain

A small German town, a forbidding Spanish hillside and a muddy potato field in Belgium have become the latest places to discover a mysterious silver monolith in their midst, in a puzzling trend which has now spread to six countries.

One of the bleak silver columns showed up over the weekend in Sulzbach, Germany, overlooking a field near a shopping centre. 

Another appeared by the ruins of an old church in Ayllon, Spain, where local authorities warned people to steer clear of the dangerous slopes - while a third was spotted today in the Flemish village of Baasrode. 

After a monolith first appeared in the Utah desert last month, sparking comparisons to the Stanley Kubrick film 2001: A Space Odyssey, similar structures have popped up in Colombia, Romania, Holland, the Isle of Wight and elsewhere in the US. 

The objects have sparked wild speculation about aliens and some of them have vanished soon after their appearance, adding to the intrigue.  

The German town, at least, is sure that its monolith has an earthly origin - but while an art collective has claimed responsibility for the original Utah stunt, it is not clear who is behind all of the replicas. 

SPAIN: A silver monolith by the ruins of an old church in Ayllon, on a hillside which local authorities say is too dangerous for people to go and visit the item 

GERMANY: The town of Sulzbach became the latest place to discover a monolith at the weekend, finding this silver column overlooking a field near a shopping centre 

BELGIUM: People take pictures next to a monolith in a potato field in Baasrode today following the sighting of the metal structure 

Holger Klink, speaking for the town of Sulzbach, told local broadcaster HR: 'It's not from outer space. The wooden structure on the inside is very earthly.' 

But he admitted: 'We still have to get to the bottom of the mystery. Rumours are spreading on Facebook. There's some very interesting theories.' 

In Spain, the town of Ayllon is no closer to knowing how its monolith got there, but mayor Maria Jesus Sanz suspects it is meant as a 'joke'. 

The mayor was unimpressed with the craftsmanship of the item, saying it was made of three metal sheets which had already collapsed several times. 

However, local authorities warned people to avoid the hillside which 'can be harmful and dangerous', according to Europa Press.  

They also called for 'individual responsibility' in light of coronavirus, after some of the other monoliths attracted small crowds of visitors.   

The new discoveries make Germany and Spain the fifth and sixth countries involved in the apparent craze, after the sighting of a gold monolith in rural Colombia sparked knowing claims that it could be the 'monolith that controls them all'.   

The other monoliths were silver in colour, but the one in Cundinamarca was golden - leaving locals wondering if it could be the 'master monolith'. 

COLOMBIA: This gold monolith appeared in rural Colombia prompting residents to ask if it is the 'monolith that controls them all' after silver towers were found elsewhere

NETHERLANDS: A monolith appeared in the Kiekenberg nature reserve near Oudehorne. It was first spotted by walkers on Sunday morning

ISLE OF WIGHT: People posed for pictures on the island off the south coast of England after the monolith appeared at a beach over the weekend 

Another monolith was discovered at Compton Beach in the Isle of Wight, encouraging a few camera-wielding visitors to pose for pictures. 

'The person who put it there knows what they're doing,' said Tom Dunford, who stumbled on the 7.5ft object as he walked his dog on Sunday morning.

'It's someone playing a practical joke. I don't believe in any of these conspiracy theories,' he told Sky News. 

In the Netherlands, a silver monolith appeared in the Kiekenberg nature reserve near Oudehorne. It was first spotted by walkers on Sunday morning.  

Local media reported that there was no trace of any footprints around the base of the structure or any other clues as to how it got there. 

Other monoliths have appeared on a Romanian mountainside, on a trail in California and outside a store in Pittsburgh. 

The California object drew hikers to the top of the Pine Mountain trail on Wednesday, but by Thursday it had vanished, apparently torn down by a group of young men that travelled five hours to remove it.  

CALIFORNIA: A moveable monolith also popped up at Pine Mountain in Atascadero, California, on Wednesday, but was gone by Thursday 

PITTSBURGH: Customers pass by a monolith after leaving Grandpa Joe's Candy Shop in the Pennsylvania city 

ROMANIA: In northern Romania, a monolith was found on Batca Doamnei Hill in the city of Piatra Neamt last Thursday

The original monolith, a shiny pillar in the remote Utah desert, was first spotted on November 18 by baffled local officials counting bighorn sheep from the air.

The discovery fired the imaginations of UFO spotters, conspiracy theorists and Stanley Kubrick fans around the world. 

Photographer Ross Bernards, who visited the monolith on Friday, described how four men suddenly appeared that night, pushed the object over and dismantled it before carrying it off in a wheelbarrow. 

The sheriff's office in San Juan County, Utah, has said it not planning an investigation into the disappearance of the monolith, which had been placed without permission on public land. 

But authorities also said they would accept tips from any of the hundreds of visitors who trekked out to see the gleaming object deep in the desert. 

A community called 'The Most Famous Artist' founded by American artist Matty Mo has since claimed credit for the Utah monolith.

The group is said to be selling three full-sized monoliths similar to the ones found in different parts of the world for $45,000 each.

When Mo was asked if the group was claiming responsibility for the Isle of Wight stunt, he said: 'The monolith is out of my control at this point. 

'Godspeed to all the aliens working hard around the globe to propagate the myth.'

UTAH: The original triangular metal monolith that appeared in the remote Utah desert on November 18 and captured the attention of conspiracy theorists and Stanley Kubrick fans