WEST Somerset farmers Rosemary and Jonathan Moorhouse have added their voices to the growing chorus of calls for restrictions on the use of Chinese lanterns after one landed just feet away from a ready-to-harvest field of corn.

As it was, the lantern - emblazoned with the message "happy birthday mum" -came down in a field of grazing cows and calves and could have caused an agonising death for the animals if parts of it had been eaten.

Mrs Moorhouse told the Free Press she was certain the lantern had been launched locally sometime on Monday or Tuesday.

"Our farmhouse is thatched and the corn is nearly ready to be harvested and this big Chinese lantern came down in the field right next to the corn.

"You can only imagine what could have happened. It could so easily have been the thatched farmhouse or the corn.

"Whoever launched this must know who they are and they need to be made aware of the dangers, especially at this time of the year.

"If people must use these things, they should be made to do it in the winter," Mrs Moorhouse said.

She and husband Jonathan run Lower Preston Farm near Stogumber and said they were lucky to have found the lantern before any of their animals came across it.

"The calves, in particular, are terribly inquisitive," Mrs Moorhouse said.

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) has already called for Chinese lanterns to be banned because of the threat posed to livestock, buildings and crops.

The Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service recommends people do not use the lanterns, which are traditionally launched to celebrate weddings, birthdays or other special events.

West Somerset Council also issued a warning about their use on behalf of the Exmoor Panel after one landed in a farmer's field near Dulverton.

The lanterns are usually made of paper stretched over a wire or bamboo frame and contain a fuel cell which is lit to enable the lantern to fly for up to 20 minutes.

During that time, they can ascend to over a mile in the sky - and are carried wherever the wind takes them.

Tests carried out by fire experts for a national television programme only last week revealed the fuel cells can still be burning with visible flames when they came back to ground level.

In addition, embers from the fuel cell can continue to glow for several minutes after the flames have gone out and glowing embers can fall from the lantern as it is carried on the breeze.

The fire service blamed a devastating fire at a paper store in Somerton last month on a Chinese lantern.

The NFU said it had also received numerous reports of harm to livestock, and in some instances death, caused by cattle ingesting the metal wires contained in the lantern frames.

Attempts to make the lanterns more eco-friendly by replacing the wire with bamboo has been branded "too little, too late" by the union.

Terry Jones of the NFU said: "We have given manufacturers, as well as suppliers, time to take on board our concerns over the sale of these lanterns and move to a safer and more environmentally friendly solution.

"While we have seen some movement by manufacturers and suppliers to biodegradable eco-lanterns, NFU council members felt that the moves were too little, too late.

"The overwhelming majority of them felt that the UK should follow the example set by other countries and ban them outright, thereby ending any possible future harm to livestock, wildlife and the environment."

The use of Chinese lanterns has grown in popularity in recent years as they are often seen as a safer alternative to fireworks.

But members of Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said the consequences of using the lanterns could be just as series as playing with fireworks.

Deputy chief fire officer Martin Clark said: "We have seen the devastating effects that fires can have on the economy and the beauty of our local areas.

"Although Chinese lanterns can look spectacular, once airborne they cannot be controlled."

Chinese lanterns are already banned in a number of countries, including Germany and Australia.

Following an incident near Dulverton 12 months ago, West Somerset district councillor Steven Pugsley, chairman of the Exmoor Panel, said lanterns were simply not suitable to be used in areas like West Somerset.

One manufacturer already recommends that the lanterns are not launched within half a mile of a road or dry standing crops, or within five miles of an airport in case they are misinterpreted as distress signals.

Adhering to the guidelines would make the lanterns virtually impossible to use anywhere in Somerset and neighbouring Devon.

Cllr Pugsley said: "As well as being a hazard for starting a fire in residential areas, especially properties with thatched roofs, some farmers are concerned that the lanterns could set fire to open fields full of standing dry crops, woodland, moorland, and barns. Some animals have been injured by the frames of used lanterns.

"If the lantern does start a fire there is the possibility that the person who launched it could be held responsible. We back the advice of the fire service and trust that local people will avoid this hazard."