Emergency services including a helicopter were scrambled to search a reservoir following reports of a hot air balloon crash in Chingford. 

The crews from London Fire Brigade (LBF) and London Ambulance Service's Hazard Area Response Team (HART) were sent to the William Girling Reservoir in Lea Valley Road on Friday at 6.30pm.

What appeared to be "a genuine call" to say a hot air balloon had gone down in the reservoir had been received. 

Police confimed they sent a helicopter to the scene to carry out an aerial search, as six fire engines and three fire rescue units prepared for a potential disaster. 

An ambulance spokeswoman, said: "We went to the scene as someone called it in but it was not what was recorded and we were stood down. There was no accident scene and no patients."

A spokesman for London Fire Brigade said: "We received a call that a member of the public had seen a hot air balloon go down in the reservoir.

"We took it as a genuine call and sent our appropriate resources to the scene to deal with an incident of that nature. 

"It was not a hoax call.

"The person who called did so with good intention. We took the incident very seriously as we did not know it would turn out to be not what had been reported. 

"There was no trace of anything and nothing was found." 

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

Photo taken by LAS tactical advisor Chris Hawkswell at the scene (credit: LAS_HART)

 

A short while later, he tweeted: 

And again: 

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

Firefighters and hazardous area response team (HART) carrying out a search at the reservoir (credit: LAS_HART)