Hampshire Police issues sky lantern warning

It comes after police in Fareham found a burnt sky lantern in the scrublands of Seafield Park.

Posting an image of the lantern on Twitter, Fareham police said the lanterns can also be dangerous to horses and other wildlife.

On its website, the RSPCA said the lanterns can cause injury or death to wildlife through ingestion and entrapment.

Hillhead Coastguard echoed the warning that the sky lanterns presented a danger to its work.

A spokesperson said: ‘Sky lanterns are sometimes mistaken 
for distress flares, leading to call outs.’

With Chinese New Year falling on January 28, the number of lanterns sold in the coming weeks is expected to increase.