IT WAS headed for War Memorial Park, but a hot air balloon ended up landing in a residential area of Basingstoke this afternoon because the wind was not strong enough to carry it any further.

The pilot of the Virgin balloon was looking for an area of open space after realising the wind speeds would not transport the balloon to War Memorial Park.

Residents watched as the red balloon landed on the green off Kestrel Road at around 3.15pm, before coming out to watch it being put away.

David Jeeworth, of Plover Close, said: “This is the second time a balloon has landed here. It was a few years ago that one landed here before. I was watching TV and I saw it coming down.”

The balloon took off from Four Seasons Hotel in Dogmersfield, and flew for around an hour-and-a-half before landing.

Mark Shemilt, the pilot, said: “We have limited control of steerage. Balloons are the first and most primitive form of aircraft so we can’t always choose where we want to land. I’m looking for spots where we can’t do any damage. At this time of year it’s quite wet so the priority is accessibility and not to get stuck.”