Residents of Paxcroft Mead had a big surprise last Sunday evening when a low-flying Virgin balloon carrying passengers flew over their homes.

Nick Cottrell, 45, was enjoying a barbecue with his wife Gemma, 38, when they spotted the balloon.

Mr Cottrell, of Montague Court, said: “We all thought something might be wrong to be begin with but we realised they were just getting a close view of the area.

“It was a bit of fun really and my brother-in-law, Stephen Fordred, who was visiting from London, managed to get quite a few good pictures. He’ll be over the moon to have one in the Wiltshire Times as he always buys a copy when he visits.”