Extra safety measures for hot-air balloon carnival

Oswestry Balloon Carnival is going ahead with extra safety measures in place amid concerns about the drought and dry fields at risk of fire.

The free event, set to take place on Saturday and Sunday at Cae Glas Park, is in its 10th year - with balloons set to have extra assessments to ensure they will be safe to fly due to concerns over flames coming from the burners.

Posting on Facebook, organisers reassured visitors that safety was their top priority and said all balloon activity would be dependent on the weather.

No balloon launches will go ahead outside of scheduled times at 06:00 and 18:00 BST on Saturday and 06:00 on Sunday.

The West Midlands is in drought due a record-breaking summer, with fires breaking out last week across the region exacerbated by dry conditions.

The government ordered disposable barbecues to be taken off the shelves as it urged people to be wary about lighting anything that could cause a fire in a national alert sent to millions of mobile phones.

People in Shropshire voiced concerns about the balloon carnival still going ahead due to the dry conditions and how hot the burners would be upon landing.

But event partners, Nightingale House Hospice, Oswestry Town Council and Oswestry BID, said balloon activity would be assessed "dynamically" and flights will only take place when conditions allow it to be conducted safely.

They added: "These measures are designed to ensure that balloon activity only proceeds when it is safe to do so, and we ask everyone attending to enjoy the event with confidence, knowing that safety remains paramount throughout."

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