VANDALS cut loose the Burnley Football Club airship-style balloon 90 minutes before its maiden outing at a Championship game.

Experts said the 20-foot, helium-filled balloon known as a blimp, used for the first time before Tuesday's match against QPR, could have travelled as far as Scotland.

Burnley have offered a reward for the safe return of the balloon, which can be clearly identified by the club crest and branding.

And police have appealed for information over the incident, which occurred at lunchtime when the blimp was tethered 200 feet in the air.

The blimp, which was only bought a few weeks ago to promote match days, soared into the skies after vandals cut the rope holding it to the ground.

It was last seen heading eastwards but the Met Office said that south-easterly winds would have propelled the balloon in a north-westerly direction.

The club said they would be asking Scottish manager Owen Coyle to get his friends to keep an eye out' for the blimp, which was bought for a four figure sum.

The club alerted air traffic control over the incident and the matter has been reported to the police.

Footage from CCTV cameras, which sweep the car park where the balloon was tethered, did not capture the incident.

A spokesperson for the club said: "With the reported winds we will have a word with the manager and ask him to get his friends to keep an eye out for the blimp in case it heads out over there."

Burnley FC Facilities Manager Doug Metcalfe said: "The club is really trying to push match days with all sorts of entertainment and the blimp was a fun addition.

"It certainly caught someone's eye quickly as it was only airborne for an hour and a half before somebody cut it loose.

"As a result we had to quickly call air traffic control to alert them of any potential problems.

"It was seen flying eastwards and we would really appreciate its safe return if at all possible as blimps do not come cheap."

A spokesperson for the Blackburn-based Pendle Balloon Company said: "With the 10 knots Southerly winds it could be somewhere around the Scottish borders.

"Because it is filled with helium it would keep rising until it was dark and then it would come down once the air pressure decreased."

The police have appealed for witnesses to contact them on 01282 425001 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

The Met Office said the higher the balloon went, the stronger the south-easterly winds would have been.

The club are offering four VIP match day corporate tickets for a forthcoming game in return for safe return of the blimp.

Anyone who finds it should contact Turf Moor on 01282 704701.