Maidstone Borough Council became the fourth council in Kent to ban Chinese lanterns earlier on this week.    

The move came after  farmers’ groups and animal charities campaigned against them, claiming they endanger livestock and wildlife, and has proven the cause of celebration for many.  

The National Farmers Union has spent over a decade campaigning for people to put out their lamps, and were quick to moment on the move. An NFU spokeswoman said:   

“It is great news that some of the local authorities have stopped sky lanterns being released from council property, with Maidstone Borough being the latest to make a common-sense decision. This sends out a strong message to the wider public that lanterns are unacceptable and releases are Irresponsible.”  

According to tradition, the lanterns are often used to mark special events such as weddings and funerals, but the practice seems to be less popular in Kent.  

According to a poll by Kent Online nearly eighty per cent of the public agreed with the borough’s decision, but could even more be done to protect Kent’s nature?  

Canterbury Greenpeace Leader John Halladay said:  

“When we’re putting materials into the environment that don’t degrade very quickly and there’s and obvious danger to wildlife, we would ask that if they are really serious about this they should ban balloons as well, even the biodegradable balloons can take six months to a year to break down, so it’s a good move but it could go a bit further”.