A HOT air balloon crew had a near miss when they almost crashed into Chingford reservoir.

The incident unfolded before hundreds of disbelieving commuters on their way to work at 8.15am on August 8.

Neil Maloney, from Chingford, who took this photograph, said: "It took about ten minutes for it all to happen. We saw the balloon and its fairly large crew drifting down towards the water and it really looked like they were going in.

"But just at the last minute they pulled up out of danger and floated away. It was a real close shave."