A FIRE chief has issued a warning to people who let off Chinese lanterns after nine were found in a field next to a herd of goats.

Scott Smythe and 13-year-old daughter Phoebe discovered nine of the sky lanterns scattered across their fields in Blacksmiths Lane, Cropthorne, on Sunday, May 17.

Mr Smythe called for them to be banned and worried about the effect they could have if they had landed in the field with his daughter's herds of goats, as reported in your Worcester News last week.

Now Richard Lawrence, deputy chief fire officer at Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, has asked people not to use Chinese lanterns.

He said: “Whilst we appreciate that sky lanterns can be a beautiful sight, they can also be extremely dangerous. "When they finally do land on the ground it’s quite possible that they could result in a fire, which as we have seen from the Croft Farm Water Park fire back in 2013, can have devastating consequences.

"In addition to this, they pose a significant risk to livestock and agriculture.

"We actively discourage the use of sky lanterns and urge people to take extra care if they do decide to use them."

A sky lantern was the cause of a devastating fire which destroyed more than 80 caravans at Croft Farm Leisure Park, Bredons Hardwick, near Bredon, in November 2013.

Worcestershire County Council has adopted Marine Conservation Society's policy on sky lanterns and balloons and they are considered litter if they are not disposed of correctly.