THE furthest balloon released as part of Battens solicitors' anniversary celebrations reached Oxford-shire.

The law firm released 300 balloons to mark its 300th anniversary earlier this year with prizes to anyone who found one. They landed in such places as Hereford, Ross-on-Wye, Worcester, and one was found more than 120 miles away in Bicester, Oxfordshire.

Balloon-finders' prizes included tickets for Haynes' Motor Museum, the Otter and Owl Wildlife Park, Weymouth Sea Life Park, the Condor Ferry, tokens to be redeemed in Marks & Spencer and meals in Ask restaurants.

Managing director David Stephens said: "We wanted to find a fun way of marking our 300th year in business. The balloon challenge typified the fact that, despite our three centuries anniversary, we are committed to leading the legal profession into the 21st century."