MARKET traders across the county have stopped selling Chinese lanterns following a danger warning.
Flintshire Council has called for a ban on the popular party pieces amid safety fears.
The council also warned lantern sellers of the fire hazard and risk of injury to people, livestock and wildlife and some traders have removed them from sale.
A report to today’s full council meeting says: “Flintshire Council has advised some market traders on issues surrounding the lanterns that has resulted in the traders agreeing not to stock them in future.”
The call for action came after incidents involving the lanterns.
A three-year-old boy was permanently scarred when he was burned by hot wax from a Chinese lantern.
Cael Jones, of Penycae, Wrexham, was badly burned during a family fireworks party when oil from a lantern fell onto his face.
A retired teacher had a lucky escape after a Chinese lantern
burnt through the roof of her conservatory.
Gwyneth Griffiths, of Hilltop Close, Ewloe, was in bed, unaware a paper lantern had floated on to the roof of her conservatory.
Firefighters said the house “could easily have gone up in flames” while she slept through the night-time blaze.
Farmer Anne Wrench, from Beeches Farm in Saltney Ferry, also backed the calls for a ban saying she often finds lanterns on her land and fears they could kill her sheep and cows or set fire to crops.
Flintshire Council considered the following notice of motion about Chinese lanterns at its meeting on September 13 2011: “That in view of the inherent danger to livestock, farm produce and the countryside in general caused by the release and launch of Chinese lanterns, the county council calls upon the Westminster Parliament and/or the Welsh Government to introduce legislation to ban the sale and use of such flying devices.”
Representations were subsequently made to Westminster Government calling for Parliament to introduce legislation to ban the sale and use of Chinese or sky lanterns.
To date the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) have not been inclined to introduce specific legislation, preferring instead to rely on the general product safety regulations.
But they have issued guidance
to the trade, including an example of a safety leaflet which can be obtained from Flintshire Trading Standards.