Monster clown blocks South Auckland road

A giant inflatable advertising clown blocked Mill Rd after wild winds sent it airborne over a fence. Photo / Pukekohe Fire

A giant 8m inflatable clown balloon blocked a major South Auckland road after it was picked up by strong winds and hurled over a fence - and getting rid of it proved no small feat.

Bruno the clown, advertising the Weber Bros Circus about to open in Pukekohe, was found lying big red nose down across Mill Rd by a motorist early this morning.

Firefighters were called to clear the unlikely road hazard, which Pukekohe station officer Darcy Hart said was one of the more unusual jobs of his career.

It was a juggling act for firefighters, who had to take the air out of the monster blimp without wrecking it.

"We had an 8m high inflatable advertising clown for a circus that was sitting across the road. It had jumped the fence and was lying across the road. We had to find zips to release the air. So we swiftly deflated the happy clown to become an unhappy clown.

"I've been in the job for 17 years and I've never been to a job where there's been an 8m high inflatable clown across the road."

The sadder-looking and much smaller clown was now back in its cage on the other side of the fence, he said.

Weber Bros director Harry Weber said the giant inflatable, affectionately dubbed Bruno, would be inspected for damage before any attempts were made to reinflate him.

"I believe he's on the other side of the fence and the gentlemen that's in charge of him, the one that ties him up, is on his way there to just have a look and see what happened," said Weber.

The giant clown - one of 30 - had been fastened securely with special pegs and tied to a fence.

Weber also revealed where the zip to deflate the clown was: "Near his buttocks - so when they let the air out they would have smelled something funny I think."

He said it was the first time one had become airborne.

If there was no obvious damage Bruno would be back up on his perch beside the road this afternoon.