Flying lanterns spark alarms

However, the increasing popularity of flying Chinese lanterns is also triggering emergency searches costing up to 10,000 because they are being mistaken for distress flares.

Coastguards have appealed to revellers to think again before launching the candle-powered lanterns, which can rise to 10,000ft, after 12 incidents this weekend alone.

They include three dealt with by Forth Coastguard, with one involving a lifeboat being launched to search the coast near Cockenzie in East Lothian.

In another incident, coastguard teams were scrambled following multiple reports of red and white flares at Bamburgh Castle, south of Berwick-upon-Tweed, on Saturday night. Wedding experts said the lanterns, which can cost less than 3 each, were becoming increasingly popular because of their novelty and impact value.

Debbie Diggle, who runs the Wedding Wonders wedding planning service, said: "Lanterns are not very expensive and can look quite spectacular if a number are let off at the same time.

"They are far cheaper than fireworks and many people have not seen them before. But I never thought anyone would mistake them for distress calls."

The lanterns have been banned in parts of several countries, including Germany and China, following a series of fires and disruption to aircraft.

In Germany, a ten-year-old boy died earlier this year in North Rhine-Westphalia, in a house blaze caused by a lantern.

And lanterns released by a couple celebrating their marriage caused 250,000 of damage to two houses in Dieburg.

Coastguards said incidents were costly and on the rise across Britain.

A spokeswoman for the Marine and Coastguard Agency said: "Although people may phone in to pre-warn the Coastguard of a Chinese lantern release, when you receive a flare report you always have to investigate properly as in the midst of the Chinese lanterns there could be a genuine distress.

"Perhaps people could find an alternative means of celebrating, which, in turn, would mean that the rescue services can be available to do their proper job, saving lives, and not being sent out on false alerts. If you've got an inshore lifeboat and a couple of Coastguard teams out, the operation could cost up to 10,000."

Angus MacNeil, the SNP's Westminster spokesman on maritime safety, said: "The tolerance of the coastguard is to be commended and I hope people will reciprocate by informing them of when they will use Chinese lanterns."

PARTY FAVOURITES

CHINESE, or flying, lanterns are believed to have been first used to send signals in ancient Chinese battles.

They later became a popular symbol of wishes during the Yuan dynasty of the 13th century. Latterly, they have become associated with festivals and celebrations.

Made of rice paper, the lanterns are carried into the sky by hot air from a candle inside, before burning up within a few minutes.

In the UK, lanterns are now popular at weddings and beach parties, and have even been used at funerals.

However, in addition to being mistaken for distress flares, the lanterns have also led to a spate of reports of UFO sightings.