WARWICKSHIRE County Council is clamping down on the use of sky lanterns on council-owned land.

The decision was made at a meeting of the full council last week to ban the use of the lanterns, also known as Chinese or Kongming lanterns, on land owned by the council.

This was made in response to a motion submitted by Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service.

The lanterns have the potential to start fires depending on where they land and there are also fears that they frighten and endanger animals if they get trapped in them or eat the remains of the lantern, as well as litter concerns.

Community fire safety and arson reduction manager, Moreno Francioso, said: “We are really pleased that the council has supported our ban of sky lanterns. We have been concerned at the fire risk posed by their use for sometime now. We welcome the support in taking steps to ban them from Council owned land. We know this won’t stop people launching them from their back gardens, but we do hope that people will now think twice about the potential risks before using them.”

Warwickshire County Council's portfolio holder for community protection, councillor Les Caborn, said: “While these lanterns may look nice, when you launch them, they can cause untold damage to our countryside, wildlife and to businesses. I welcome the motion to prohibit their use and hope other residents follow our lead to ensure the safety of our communities.”