I work at the Port of Felixstowe, in Suffolk, UK. While on the night shift I observed across the harbour and probably over Hawich or Clacton a brilliant light that illuminated the cloud as it fell through the sky. it was shimmering intensly and shone brilliant white and was exstremely bright. Before I had time to react to the fact that it would hit the ground it stopped dead. It travelled at a huge rate of speed and glowed so bright. I would have first thought it was a meteor had I had time to think anything at all before it stopped ubruptly, a real sudden halt without slowing at all. The object continued to glow for severel more minutes before it got extremely bright and changed colour and then broke up into three red/orange glowing balls. The balls of light seemed to travel in different directions. From my veiw point at the docks, one travelled towards Colchester or London direction, one travelled down the river Orwell towards Ipswich and the third travelled over the docks and I presume along the coast, I lost sight of it in the light polution from the port.