A FARMER has called for a ban on Chinese Lanterns after he said three of his cows died as a result of the floating lights landing on the family's farm.

Will Lacey, 23, of Lacey's Family Farm in Lane End, said three of his 100 Guernsey dairy herd suffered agonising deaths after they digested metal wire from the lanterns.

Another had to endure surgery to remove a piece of wire from her stomach.

Last week in the Free Press Met policeman, John Miller, from Hughenden Valley warned of the fire risk of the lanterns after one landed on his children's trampoline and burnt a hole.

Mr Lacey voiced his concern too. He said: “We have had a massive problem with them this year. They should not be allowed-you cannot let an animal suffer like that.”

Mr Lacey, who farms the land with his brother, Ed, dad Daniel and uncle, Gideon, said the lanterns have a metal frame and land in their crop unseen.

When the crop is harvested the lanterns are chopped up too which leaves two inch bits of metal in the animal feed.

He said the cow, which has four compartments in its stomach, eats this and because of the size of the metal it stays in the compartment which is next to the heart and this can puncture the lining and cause internal bleeding.

Mr Lacey said: “We have done post mortems on them and we got the wire out of the cows. We know the wire is from the lanterns as we have compared it and we do not use wire like that on our farm.”

He said the lanterns, which are released with a lit candle inside, should be banned, as not only do they cause harm to livestock but are also a fire risk and cause littering.

Farmer Bryan Edgley, from Cadmore End, said the lanterns are dangerous as there is no way of knowing where the lantern will land and can fly for up to 20 miles.

He said although there are now wooden Chinese Lanterns these pose the same problem with sharp bits of wood.

He said: “It is almost like an act of vandalism. You just don't know how much damage it will do.”

The National Farmers Union has called for a ban on the lanterns and has launched a Think Twice campaign to persuade people against releasing them.

It has warned people not to release them during the harvest season as the fire risk is heightened during late summer.

NFU South East spokeswoman Isobel Bretherton also warned against the risk to farm animals as the wire can cause slow, agonising deaths when eaten.

Chinese lanterns have been banned in countries including Germany, Australia and parts of New Zealand.