A balloon sent to a family to celebrate the birth of their first child has not popped in 26 years.

David Freeborn, 55, and his wife Yvonne, 63, of Palace View, Bromley, were sent the “It’s a girl” balloon and a basket of flowers by staff at Acorn Estate Agents, where Mr Freeborn worked in 1991.

The balloon arrived two days after the birth of their daughter Sophie, 26, and stayed in her room until she left home at the age of 24. Mrs Freeborn occasionally dusted the balloon but otherwise it was not touched.

The balloon has since been kept in a cupboard. It shows no signs of deflation, although it has faded slightly in colour.

Mrs Freeborn said: “Every child is special and you feel a bond and sense of commitment.

“It (the balloon) reminds me of how wonderful it is to have a child and how far she has gone since then.”

Sophie was the couple's first and only child.

Mr Freeborn stayed with Mrs Freeborn at the hospital during the birth. Mrs Freeborn said that he was ecstatic when Sophie was born.

Mrs Freeborn said: “He was just over the moon when he met his daughter. It was everything he wanted. He loved her from the minute he saw her.

“The balloon brings back very, very happy memories. It’s a lovely reminder of one of the happiest days of his life.”

Mr Freeborn had been working for five years at the Acorn Estate Agents and had grown up with his boss. Mrs Freeborn said that there was great excitement in the office as Mr Freeborn was the first to have a child.

A quarter of a century later, Mr Freeborn still keeps in contact with some of his former colleagues.

The Freeborns realised just how resilient the balloon was after she read a story in the June 10 edition of the Daily Express about a similar balloon that had survived for 18 years.

None of the Freeborn household has any intention of throwing the balloon away and Mrs Freeborn said that it feels as full of helium as the day it arrived at their house.

She said: “Unless it has an accident I can see it lasting another 26 years.”

Sophie now has a partner of her own and she has bought a house nearby the family home.