HOPES of a first for Blackpool were blown away by the good old British weather on Tuesday.

The first ever "night glow" gathering of hot air balloons on a British beach was due to start at 9pm, but windy conditions stopped the event from going ahead.

Blackpool Tourism spokesman Mike Chadwick said: "Had it worked it would have been brilliant. It's a great concept having these balloons glowing in time to music."

Attempts to inflate the first balloon, a giant strawberry, were thwarted by gusts up to 16 mph.

Mike added: "It needed to drop another five to eight miles an hour. The crowds turned out in their thousands. I think they all understood the reasons that it couldn't go ahead. I hope people weren't too disappointed."

Event organiser Ian Ashpole of corporate balloon operators Flying Pictures, said on the night: "We are very disappointed. The wind is still gusting quite considerably. We felt at least if we showed the crowd the trouble we were having they would understand. It would have been potentially quite dangerous.

"We had a great sound system, great crowds, great venue -- we just did not have the great weather to put on a spectacular show."