Pressure is mounting on the Government to follow its Spanish counterpart and ban Chinese lanterns amid fears their release poses a fire risk, damages the environment and harms wildlife.

As festivities begin today to celebrate the Chinese New Year, the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has branded the lanterns “mobile fireballs” and joins the National Farmers Union (NFU) and the RNLI in demanding action.

They want the British Government to follow Spain’s recent example of outlawing the devices in line with other European countries.

The MCS, a marine charity, wants to stop the manufacture and sale of the lanterns.

According to the MCS the lanterns contribute to increased litter levels, present a fire risk, pose a threat to farm animals if swallowed and are potentially harmful to marine species creatures.

Emma Snowden, MCS litter campaigns officer, said people “had no idea” of the damage the lanterns can cause once they have disappeared over the horizon.

She said: “These mobile fireballs have to come down somewhere, and it’s often on farmland or out at sea.

“We have received reports of numerous false alarms for the coastguard and RNLI after people have seen them over the sea and mistaken them for flares.”

However, Ms Snowden said the MCS did not want to dampen Chinese New Year celebrations.

She said: “The original Chinese lanterns were not designed to be air borne, they were created to hang on poles and decorate houses rather than fly off into the sky.”

Louise Staples rural surveyor at the NFU said the lanterns were making life difficult for farmers.

She said: “We applaud the MCS’s drive to highlight the dangers that Chinese lanterns can cause to wildlife.”