Crowds were left shocked after a hot air balloon caught fire at Cholsey Balloon Festival yesterday.

The display included a man suspended from the balloon whilst anchored to a van.

But during one manoeuvre the cloud- hopper single pilot balloon caught fire as the man reached for the flame blower and set light to the balloon itself.

Photographer Jason Hawksworth, of J K Photography, caught the moment on camera as he visited the festival with family.

The Cholsey resident said: “They fired the flames and it just caught the back of the balloon and bits of it were just flying over the crowd.

"They pulled it faster back and it just crashed to the ground.

"It was all very quick, obviously all the crowds were screaming and running away but it soon landed and everyone started moving back once it was ok.

"It was lucky nobody was hurt."

The display on Jubilee Field was part of the fourth year of the festival, which attracts thousands of people to the village near Wallingford to enjoy balloon flights, displays and spectacles.

The rest of the event, which is run by St Mary’s Church, passed off successfully and it is hoped it will once again raise thousands of pounds for charity