Last updated 16:41, Thursday, 28 August 2008

THE £300,000 De Vere Seniors Championship at Slaley Hall hit the heights in more ways than one.

For a promotional balloon advertising the prestigious tournament broke away from its moorings and disappeared over the Slaley fells.!

The large blue balloon was was inflated over Slaley Hall at the beginning of the PGA Seniors tournament, which took place over The Hunting course over the weekend.

The balloon was branded with the company tagline of 'golf is back at De Vere' – a message the balloon was obviously keen to take further a field.

The 10ftx5ft blimp began violently swaying in strong winds as the players hit the turn, and after a tussle with one of the 100 -year-old fir trees on the Slaley Hall estate, it took off for the wild blue yonder.

It was seen heading off in an easterly direction.

A warning was placed with the region’s civil aviation representatives and several hours later, and there was some anxious nail-biting before there was a call to the hotel from a resident of South Shields to advise the balloon had landed in his garden, and was to be well cared for until it could be returned to its owners!