Sunderland mum issues appeal for help after son's Christmas money balloon blows away from home

Mum Lindsey Sandy had come up with the novelty idea of gifting her 11-year-old son Kyle with a money balloon containing £160 of cash for Christmas instead of presenting it the more conventional money wallet.

Lindsey, from Woodham Drive, had the balloon specially made for her son by Sunderland business, Jo’s Party Emporium, who personalised the transparent balloon with the message ‘Merry Xmas Kyle.”

Weighed down by a bag of sand, the balloon went down a treat with the youngster who had planned on spending the cash on PS4 games.

But disaster struck when Kyle’s three-year-old brother Kane managed to pull the weight off the balloon, so that when the door opened it was able to blow away before the family realised what had happened.

The Year 7 Farringdon Community Academy pupil has been left gutted he is without anything for Christmas and now mum Lindsey is hoping a kind-hearted stranger may come across the balloon and return it.

Lindsey said: “My 11-year-old son just wanted money for Christmas so instead of giving him a money wallet I thought I would give him a balloon with it in.

“I got it made so that £160 in £20, £10, and £5 notes was put inside of it and gave him it on Christmas Day.

“It had a sand weight on it but my three-year-old managed to pull the weight off and when my partner was getting the shopping out of the car at around 12.45pm on Sunday, December 29, he had left the front door open and it blew away.

“But we never noticed until later on as he had been getting things out the boot of the car at the time.

“We went looking for it and the woman across the road has said she had seen it blow down the street but she didn’t know it had money in it.”

Lindsey, who is also mum to Kaden, eight, said although her balloon is transparent, you can’t tell until it has money in it until you get close up.

She has reported the balloon to the police but has been told they don’t deal with lost property.

Although she understands it may be a lost cause, Lindsey is still hoping someone may find the balloon and get in touch.

Lindsey continued: “It was just a novelty thing for him and I thought it was something different.

“But I am not doing it again now.

“My son is really upset.

“I have told him I will get the money replaced but he will have to wait a while.

“I am just hoping someone honest may come forward with it if they find the balloon.”

Anyone who may have found the balloon is asked to contact the Echo on [email protected] so that their details can be passed on to the family.