An MP is leading calls in Parliament for sky lanterns to be banned.
East Yorkshire MP Sir Greg Knight has tabled a motion in the House of Commons to enforce the ban, after he claimed Government had ‘stopped short' of supporting an outright prohibition.
The move follows a rise in the use of lanterns in recent weeks to showcase support for the NHS amid the pandemic and it has received support from across the political spectrum and the NFU.
Sir Knight said: "Sky lanterns can harm or kill animals, either by ingestion or by starting fires. They certainly put farmers' crops at risk of being set on fire and destroyed.
"I am calling for the law to be changed as we need a specific ban to deal with this problem, after all, these lanterns all end as potentially lethal garbage."
Olly Harrison, an arable farmer from Merseyside, has also urged the public not to support the use of these ‘uncontrollable incendiary devices'.
Risks
Highlighting the serious risks lanterns posed to animal health and farm buildings, Mr Harrison has set up a petition to ban their use.
Government : Ban sky lanterns - Sign the Petition! https://t.co/gi32wlQQ73 via @UKChange #skylanterns
— Olly harrison ??????#soilsaver (@agricontract) May 4, 2020
He said: "Please stop using these lanterns, not only are they extremely flammable but animals often eat them after being attracted to the bright colours, and the metal lining can kill them."
Campaign
Farmers Guardian launched its Say No to Sky Lanterns campaign in 2013 and since then many local authorities and events including Glastonbury have banned the use of sky lanterns.
Following lobbying from FG, supermarket giant Tesco pledged to stop selling the products due to the fire and animal welfare risks they pose.
For more on FG's Say No to Sky Lanterns campaign, visit fginsight.com/skylanterns.
