Hot air balloon lands in a Bedford residential street

Eyewitnesses have described their surprise at seeing a hot air balloon trying to land in a residential street between parked cars, telegraph poles and wires, and rows of houses.

Sam Coldham said he saw the balloon descending in Bower Street, Bedford, at about 09:30 BST while he was out walking the dog with his partner Sian King, who shot some footage.

He said it was “hovering” in the air and did not look like it was going to come down in the nearby Russell Park, so helped grab the guide rope so it could land safely.

He said no-one was injured, it did not touch anything apart from the ground, and the pilot told him he had “saved his bacon”.