A giant inflatable balloon featuring a kangaroo sparked a warning over Dundee amid fears that planes from the city’s airport and RAF Leuchars could collide with it.
Dundee Airport alerted the police and MoD chiefs when a giant yellow blimp adorned with an image of the leaping beast left its moorings and floated into their airspace.
The balloon was tethered at Kangaroo Self Storage on East Dock Street but made an unexpected and possibly wind-assisted escape bid last month.
Air traffic controllers were worried that the inflatable could pose a threat to passenger and military planes and contacted the authorities to warn them.
No sooner was the warning sounded than the kangaroo disappeared into the distance.
An RAF Leuchars spokesman said the Fife base was contacted by Dundee air traffic controllers after the kangaroo made its jump for freedom early on a Thursday morning.
A spokeswoman for Highlands and Islands Airports, which operates Dundee Airport, said: “An inflatable kangaroo was reported missing and as it could have been a potential hazard we informed all local aircraft in the area, called nearby stations and informed the police.
“No further sightings or incidents were reported.”
A Tayside Police spokeswoman said that they had been called about the giant floating marsupial but said airport staff were left to deal with the problem.