Written by John Swire
The company selling sky lanterns to raise funds for the NHS has stopped its campaign after concerns were raised over the damage they would inflict on the countryside.
Night Sky Lanterns were selling Union Jack lanterns for £6 and encouraging people to release them every Sunday night during the COVID-19 crisis.
Following a huge campaign on social media, the company has stopped the initiative and refunded all orders. One of the organisations campaigning against this, was the CLA who among those who quickly reacted to this misguided sentiment by contacting all rural MPs and asking them to raise awareness to the dangers of sky lanterns.
CLA President Mark Bridgeman said: “Releasing a naked flame, with absolutely no control over where it will land, is a serious threat to rural businesses, livestock, wildlife and the environment. There is simply no responsible way of using them.
“Therefore it’s good that the company has seen sense and decided to end the campaign, especially as there are much better ways to show support and appreciation for the invaluable work of the NHS.”
“While this move is positive, we’ve been campaigning for a number of years for these to be banned on safety and environmental grounds and this now needs to be actioned more than ever.”
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