Jaw blimey! Shark shocker for pensioner

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the garden . . . Pensioner John Bradbury got the shock of his life when he came face to face with a real fish out of water, in the shape of a huge floating shark.

But this one proved to be a toothless threat as Mr Bradbury, 70, realised it was actually a radio controlled balloon that had floated into his garden in Sutton Hill, Telford.

He said: "My wife saw it and said she wasn't going out there because she was scared of what it might have been.

"I went out yesterday morning and it was a giant shark, just like Jaws. It's about 4ft or 5ft long. We didn't know what it was at first.

"It's a radio controlled balloon I think. It's got all the aerials on it and a battery underneath.

"Someone must have lost it overnight. It might have been a child or a teenager.

"It's got a bit deflated now, but I've put it in my garage so it's safe and won't blow away."

Balloons similar to the one Mr Bradbury found were a popular Christmas present last year, retailing for £40.

The fishy balloon is filled with helium gas and the operator uses the remote control to operate the fish's tail fin, which controls its movement up, down, left and right.

However, the remote control only has a range of about 15m, which is how Mr Bradbury believes the shark ended up in his garden in Swinburne Close.

Mr Bradbury is now keen to track down the flying fish's owner so he can return it.

The owner of the balloon can telephone Mr Bradbury on (01952) 414329.