The Spanish authorities have banned a brand of British made ‘flying lanterns’ from the market due to their fire hazard.
The authorities said the lanterns ‘fly in the air without control’ making it impossible to avoid the lanterns coming into contact with flammable material such as dry vegetation or buildings.
A spokesman in the NFU Brussels office said: “The Spanish have found, as we have in the UK, that flying lanterns are a disaster waiting to happen. Over the past few years there have been numerous cases of crops and buildings catching alight in the UK causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.
“The NFU has also received many reports of harm to livestock, and in some instances death, caused by cattle ingesting the metal wires contained within the lantern frames.
“The NFU continues to work towards a ban on lanterns but until this is achieved we remain committed to persuading people against releasing them.”
No comments have been made.