A warning has been issued after an alight sky lantern landed on a local farm just metres from a hay barn and horses in foal.

The lantern was set off on New Year’s Eve and was seen shortly after midnight flying from the general direction of Crosswell/Brynberian.

It landed, still on fire, at the Dyfed Shire Horse Farm, Eglwyswrw, very close to the farm’s hay barn and to the stabled Shire horses, some of whom are in foal.

Luckily a disaster was averted, as the farm’s owners had spotted the lantern landing and extinguished it immediately. However, the story could have had a very different ending.

“The risks from these lanterns are well documented and neither is it environmentally conscious,” said a farm spokesperson.

“Your ‘happy’ new year could well have been our or another farmer's tragedy. [We are] very disappointed by such behaviour.”

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The use of sky lanterns, also known as Chinese lanterns has been banned on public land in Wales since 2018.

The lanterns, while looking pretty, are known to be a fire hazard with the potential to cause serious injury and/ or loss of life as well as damage to property.

They also pose a risk to wildlife, livestock and other animals by causing injuries that lead to suffering and a slow painful death, either through ingestion or entanglement.

The National Farmer’s Union has launched a petition asking the UK government to ban sky lanterns outright in England and Wales. This currently has 96,460 signatures.

The union, along with 17 other farming, environment, animal and fire organisations including the RSPCA and the National Fire Chiefs Council, has also written to the government calling for the use of sky lanterns to be made illegal.