PIGS might not fly - but an airborne bunny will take to the skies above Ryedale next week.

The rabbit is, in fact, a hot air balloon and it will be joined by 26 others taking part in the Ordnance Survey UK National Ballooning Championships.

From Tuesday, the balloons will take off from the grounds of Castle Howard to compete for a place in the World Air Games, which take place in Spain next year.

Castle Howard has been chosen as the venue to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the first ballooning event to take place at the stately home.

Mark Lockwood, championship press officer, said: "The balloons will be flying from an area north of the Lake. The reason we have gone back to fly from the grounds is to celebrate this anniversary.

"There will also be a giant flying folding Ordnance Survey map taking part. It is 110ft high and features real sections of the Southampton map."

The competitors will have to compete in a number of different competitions over the course of the week.

One of the events will involve flying towards a marker. Once they have reached that point, the pilots must throw a sandbag marked with their competition number out of the balloon.

Whoever's sandbag lands closest to the marker wins.

Because the championship is highly competitive and the balloons can only fly if there are suitable weather conditions, it is not open to the public.

On Saturday, August 26, however, the public are invited to watch as a 'Silver Key Grab' competition.

Setting off from a designated distance, around 40 balloons are expected to 'home in' on the North Lawn of Castle Howard where there will be a silver key on top of a tall pole.

The first pilot to get close enough to grab the key will win a brand new hot air balloon, donated by Cameron Balloons of Bristol.

The key grab takes place between 4.30pm and 7.00pm and the grounds will remain open especially for the event with grounds tickets available.