Archive - Thursday, 22 April 1999


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AIR TRAFFIC WARNED-BEWARE NOAH'S ARK!

AIR traffic control were warned to watch out for a flying Noah's Ark after a Crewe toddler's birthday present went up, up and away.

Ophelia Sawyer, from Winterley, was given the seven-foot tall giant balloon for her second birthday but watched in dismay as it soared into the sky.

Worried mother Antoinette called the police who contacted Manchester Airport to warn of the bizarre new obstacle in their flightpath.

Police later said the polythene ark was unlikely to cause any danger to aircraft as it would probably have exploded at high altitude.

"The balloon had weights attatched to the bottom which Ophelia immediately took off, but it seemed to hold itself down quite well," said Antoinette.

"I was on the telephone and all I heard was 'No Ophelia don't.' Then when I got outside she was just pointing up at the sky.

"My main concern was that I had seen lots of low flying light aircraft and that it might be a danger to them, so I phoned the police and felt extremely silly.

"She was quite upset afterwards and keeps pointing up at the sky and saying that it's banging into the aeroplanes."

Haslington store Corridors of Time, who sold the original balloon, generously replaced the giant inflatable to the delight of the two-year-old.

"We felt so sorry for little Ophelia when we heard what had happened. It must have been heartbreaking for her to see her birthday present floating away," he said.

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