Hot air balloon crashes near Shrewsbury railway line

A balloon crashed near one of Shropshire's busiest railway lines as it prepared to launch tonight – causing one train to be delayed while the canopy was hauled to safety.

The Virgin balloon went through an embankment fence before landing either side of the main Cardiff to Manchester line at Battlefield, just north of Shrewsbury after getting caught by a strong gust of wind.

The balloon itself landed partially on the line at about 8pm while the basket landed next to the tracks. Police attended the scene while the balloon was pulled fully into a nearby field, but it is not believed anyone was hurt.

The balloon which crash-landed in Shrewsbury

Ray Harrison from Prees, who spotted the balloon coming down close to Battlefield 1403 farm shop while he was driving along the A49.

He said: "The balloon crashed through an embankment fence, with the basket on the embankment.

"Within 10 minutes there were about six police cars there and they got the line clear.

The balloon which crashed near Shrewsbury

"Luckily there weren't any trains coming else it could have been a disaster. It is a really busy line."

Maria Wilkinson, spokeswoman for Virgin Balloon Flights, said: "There was an incident involving one of our hot air balloons as it prepared for launch at Battlefield in Shrewsbury.

"No passengers were in the balloon at the time and nobody was injured, although some damage was caused to nearby fences.

"At this stage it appears a sudden and unexpected strong gust of wind caught the balloon as it was being inflated.

"Virgin Balloon Flights has one of the strongest safety records in the industry and an incident such as this one is extremely rare.

"We are working closely with our pilot and crew to carry out a full internal investigation of the incident and the balloon itself has been taken in for inspection.

"We wish to thank the police for their swift response and assistance on the evening.

Eryl Jones, Arriva Trains Wales spokesman, said: "The balloon didn't land on the line, luckily, it landed in a field next to the line.

"One train on the line was delayed by about 20 minutes as a result."

A spokesman for West Mercia Police said the balloon was removed quickly and there were no safety concerns.