Farmers are calling for Chinese lanterns to be banned because of the risk they pose to livestock.

They claim the wire-framed party toys - which are often mistaken for UFOs - could cause fires or be eaten by cattle.

The appeal has been launched after Derek Lingham found several lanterns in fields where his 100-strong herd graze.

Mr Lingham, of East Park Farm, Fletching, near Uckfield, said: "They pose a risk to animal welfare and they are a fire hazard too.

“We’ve had seven altogether in the past month and the wires are so thin that they could get around an animal's foot and embedded in the skin.

"Also If one of these drops into a silage field or a hay crop, your cattle could be eating wire."

His claims have been backed by Tom Tupper, chairman of West Sussex National Farmers Union who plans to pass the concerns to the RSPCA and the Government.

A spokeswoman for the NFU said: “Mr Tupper has received a number of complaints from other farmers who feel the wire could become embedded in a cows stomach. It’s a real concern.”

Chinese lanterns, which are sold for about £5, can fly for 20 minutes.

They are often released at celebrations and are regularly seen floating up to mile in the sky.

Mike Sansom, director of Brighton Fireworks, in Preston Road, Brighton, told The Argus he sells about 50,000 of the lanterns every year.

He said: “There has been talk of them being banned because they are a fire risk but if everyone uses them properly then they don’t cause accidents.

“The lanterns go out well before they eventually fall to the ground, and, while I understand the concerns, I think more of a risk is posed by barbed wire.”

Last month coastguards warned people against setting off the lanterns as they were being confused with red rescue flares.

Fred Caygill, of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, said: “While we don’t want to spoil people’s enjoyment we do not want to ruin the chances of people being rescued.

“Perhaps people could find another form of celebration which deter us rom our proper job of saving people.”

UFOs or Chinese Lanterns?

• In July this year Michael Ward-Sale, of St John s Terrace, in Lewes, was so alarmed when he saw strange lights he dialled 999. He denied they were chinese lanterns.

• Adam Reeves, of Brighton, said his partner saw 15 orange orbs gliding silently over Brighton seafront in June.

• A few days before Ron Thomas, 63, of Clifton Hill, Brighton said he saw an orange orb flying over his head. Mr Thomas said: “It was about 600ft up in the air and was travelling from north to south very quickly but without a sound. It was like something out of a science fiction movie.”

• The same month, Karel Mc'Chambell spotted bright orange lights, which he thought were UFOs while watching television with his 14-year-old daughter Kayleigh and filmed them.

Click on play below to watch the video Karel and Kayleigh filmed.

• After the Ministry of Defence revealed 11 UFOs were spotted above Sussex in 2008, investigator Poy Lake told The Argus: “Nine out of ten sightings can be explained away as things such as Chinese lanterns. They have become a bit of a nuisance, but people aren’t sending them up in thousands and there are sightings where they can’t be explained.”

• In August 2008 Brighton and Hove city councillor Bob Carden, who represents North Portslade, warned of the dangers of using Chinese lanterns. He said: “It looked extremely dangerous in the sky.”