'When they're launched you really don't have any control' as RSPCA back tonight's council vote

If agreed they'd follow more than 100 UK councils, as well as Germany and New Zealand, in also taking action.

Evangeline Button is a scientific officer with the RSPCA, who's been campaigning for more councils to ban the use of them

She said: "When they're launched you really don't have any control over where they land.

"Because of the fire that burns underneath them to keep them alight that can be a really serious fire risk when they come down.

"If they land in fields, near stables near anything wooden they can present a really serious fire risk.

"We've got a very sad picture for example of a barn owl that was unfortunately killed because it had been caught up in the frame of one of these lanterns.

"We've been sent pictures of them lying on the ground near a stables, for example in fields there's been lots of stories unfortunately of farm animals like cows they can mistake the lanterns, the frames of them for food and if they eat them that can unfortunately be fatal."

For more about the RSPCA campaign against sky lanterns click here

The agenda for tonight's Somerset West and Taunton full council meeting can be found here:

The motion to 'ban sky lanterns and ceremonial balloons on council land and raise awareness of their environmental impact' says: "Many councils across the country have already implemented bans or policies against sky lanterns. Other countries have also brought in bans such as Germany and New Zealand."

This Council resolves:

1. To end the use of sky lanterns and balloons for ceremonial release to the open air

from Council-owned public land.

2. To request the Leader of the Council to write a letter to the Environment Secretary

of the UK Government to initiate legislation to ban sky lanterns and balloons for

ceremonial use

3. To raise public awareness of the harmful environmental

• sky lanterns ban somerset west and taunton