AN EAST Lancashire man's bid to break the world balloon altitude record was thwarted today after it lost helium just before take off.

Alan Noble, a former reporter with the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, from Burnley, is flight director for the British team which was looking to launch a balloon to the edge of space and into a place in aviation history.

The decision to halt the mission was announced after the balloon began losing helium during inflation, less than an hour after the mission had been given the go-ahead in St Ives, Cornwall.

British balloonists Colin Prescot and Andy Elson had been set to launch the 1,270ft QinetiQ1 balloon between 8.30am and 9am. But just before 7.30am the mission was cancelled.

Mission control director Brian Jones said said: "It lost a substantial amount of helium during inflation, probably due to a problem with the valve.

"Things were going incredibly well and, because of that, I think it is an even more devastating blow for the team on board and us in mission control."

The balloon was designed to be the first to burst through into the stratosphere, as illustrated by our computer graphic below.

As flight director, Mr Noble, who attended Burnley Grammar School and took up ballooning in 1974, was to mastermind the ascent and ensure the pilots return safely to earth.

Initial investigations into why the bid failed are to take place this morning on board the Triton warship the balloon was due to be launched from.

The Noble art of floating in space

Alan Noble, who has been working on the record attempt for the past two years, is no stranger to breaking records in the world of ballooning.

He was flight director in 1999 for the Breitling Orbiter 3 which was the first balloon to circumnavigate the globe.

It marked an 18-year battle by Mr Noble, 56, formerly of Rosehill Road, Burnley, to break the record.

Mr Noble, who attended Burnley Grammar School, took up ballooning in 1974 and his expertise lies in helping the pilots avoid trouble spots and finding the air currents.

Shortly after taking up the sport, he explained: "I find it challenging and extremely exciting indeed.

"Contrary to popular belief, a balloon can be controlled to a big extent and doesn't just drift around in the sky."

Mr Noble works for the Bristol firm Cameron Balloons which made the giant Breitling Orbiter and acted as consultants to QinetiQ 1.

Mr Noble's late father, also called Alan, was a wartime pilot and a secretary of the RAF Association in Burnley.