STILL reeling from their embarrassing soccer defeat at the weekend, the last thing you would expect a German to do is go out of his way to help an Englishman.

But despite a severe dent to his country's national pride, one German did just that when he discovered a balloon which had travelled more than 1,000km since its launch in Chorley.

Thomas Blumenstein lives in a town called Hessisch Lichtenau, 20 km south of Kassell in central Germany.

In an e-mail to The Citizen on Sunday, he said: "I was walking in woodland near my home when I came across a balloon with a slip of paper attached, bearing the name 'Andy' and an address in Canal Walk, Chorley."

He went on to say: "Can you get in touch with this Andy and tell him I have found his balloon in Germany, having flown about 1,000 km?"

Faced with such a challenge, and with our sights set firmly on the goal, The Citizen got to work.

The man who launched the balloon is Andy Redman, of Gaskell Close, Silverdale, Lancaster. He used to live in Canal Walk, Chorley, with his wife Maritsa, but moved when they split. Andy, 40, said: "I can't believe someone has actually found one of the balloons! I launched five after a party at a neighbour's house in Chorley last October.

"They had all these helium balloons and I thought it would be fun to put my name and address on some and let them go."

Andy said he watched one go straight into the M61 at Chorley so he didn't hold out much hope for the others.

"I'd been out for a few drinks and when I got back and my dad said The Citizen was trying to contact me about a balloon that had been found in Germany, I thought it was a wind-up.

"I must admit I am surprised Mr Blumenstein has made the effort to get in touch, especially after we wiped the floor with them in Munich!"