A CAMPAIGN has started to ban Chinese lanterns which are proving a hazard to wildlife and farm animals.
Members of the Women’s Food and Farming Union in North Wales displayed the finds of their lantern patrols at the Flint and Denbigh show, and are planning on campaigning for the celebratory items to be banned.
Karen Bellis, secretary for the North Wales branch of the Women’s Food and Farming Union, said the lanterns were blighting the region’s farming community.
She said: “They look lovely when they go up, but they have a fire in them, and that fuel cell has caused crops and buildings to catch fire,” Karen said.
“Another big problem is the wire that is in them. It’s being eaten by animals and cut up into needle sized pieces during farming, which is harming wildlife.”
Members of the North Wales branch have begun lantern patrols to ensure crops are clear of the lanterns to avoid them being caught up in the silage process.
Ms Bellis said: “We’re not killjoys, we just want people to think about where they go.”
The Women’s Food and Farming Union are planning on launching a campaign to have the lanterns banned, beginning with a protest petition against their use.
Carys Roberts, who farms in the Conwy Valley and works with the WFU, supported the calls for the lanterns to be banned.
“It’s such a danger to livestock,” she said.