With the Chinese New Year just around the corner, the NFU is calling on the public to write to their local authorities urging them to introduce a voluntary ban on the release of sky lanterns.

We’ve put together guidance and a letter template that can be signed and sent to county, district, borough or town councils, encouraging them to vote on the issue. The list of councils that have already banned the release of lanterns on their land grows every week and now includes Essex county council, Staffordshire county council, Cardiff council, Warwickshire county council, Chesham Town council, Waveney District Council and Norfolk county council. Airports, fire services and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency have also raised concerns over the similarity to distress flares.

The NFU continues to raise the profile of sky lanterns as part of its successful Love your Countryside campaign. Evidence has shown that the frames of lanterns can harm or even kill farm animals if they are ingested, fields of standing crops and buildings are at significant risk of being set alight, while littering is also a major problem. Last year, the Trading Standards Institute published a new code of practice for sky lanterns following discussions between the government and industry. The code offers guidance for those designing, manufacturing, distributing, retailing or using sky lanterns - which have been the subject of sustained NFU lobbying.

NFU Deputy President Minette Batters said: “I know from personal experience just how dangerous sky lanterns can be after losing a cow from my own herd which died after eating some fine wire from a lantern that landed on the farm - the post mortem revealed that this was the cause of death. “But it’s important to point out that it’s not just farm animals which can be affected. Sky lanterns cause fires to crops, grassland on moors and bales of hay and straw that have been stacked, which can lead to a loss of buildings.

“It is really encouraging that local authorities are now starting to see sense and have banned the release of lanterns on their land. However, we would like to see many more follow suit. Members of the public can play a big part by writing to their local councils spelling out how dangerous sky lanterns can be. “Please back British farming and think twice before setting sky lanterns alight and releasing them into the environment. The NFU continues to call for an outright ban and we will continue to lobby government until action is taken.”