AN INVESTIGATION has been launched into an eBay advert which claims to be selling the missing Burnley Football club blimp.

Police have asked eBay to remove the advert selling the airship-style balloon after offensive comments were left on the web page.

But they believe the eBay advert, which shows a picture of an airship style balloon in front of Turf Moor and a bid of £800,100, to be a hoax.

The club also believes the advert selling the blimp, which was cut free last Tuesday before the championship match against QPR, is not genuine.

Burnley Football Club said they had not received any confirmed sightings of the blimp since vandals cut it free last week.

The reward of four VIP match day corporate tickets for a forthcoming game, still stands for the safe return of the balloon, which can be clearly identified by the club crest and branding.

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

The blimp, which was only bought for a four-figure sum a few weeks ago to promote match days, 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 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: "We have not yet received any confirmed sightings of the blimp, but the reward still stands and we would love to hear from any genuine sightings on 01282 704701."

A police spokesperson said: "There is an investigation into the incident.

"The advert does look like it has been doctored.

"We have notified eBay and asked them to remove it because of the offensive comments on there."