A hot air balloon company boss is going wild about the gas he uses.

David McCutcheon, of Airborne Adventure, near Skipton, already uses Liquid Petroleum Gas from British Gas as fuel for flights.

Now he has gone a step further. The company's offices and vehicle - and now the private car used by David - are all running on the green fuel.

David, 43, who is based at his home in Rylstone, reckons he can cut running costs by around a half using LPG which is delivered by British Gas tanker once a month - once a fortnight in the busy summer - and stored on site in a 1,000-litre tank.

The former newspaper advertising manager has been ballooning for 20 years and formed the company, which runs flights over the Dales and also operates in Portugal, in 1989.

David says he was already aware of the benefits of LPG as a fuel for his two hot-air balloons so two years ago converted an ex-Army Land Rover lorry he uses for carrying equipment.

And when the time came to expand and put up offices on spare land at his home, he quickly decided to use the adaptable LPG to heat the building and provide hot water. He's so convinced by LPG that last week he had his own Toyota Land Cruiser converted.

David believes it isn't only the cost savings that convince him of the benefits of LPG.

"I don't like the dirt associated with diesel. Nobody wants to mess up the environment, I've got a two-year-old daughter to think of," he said.

British Gas supplies the automotive power for a wide range of vehicles including delivery trucks, refuse trucks, buses, vans, cars and fork-lift trucks. LPG is growing increasingly available around the country as a vehicle fuel.

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