A LANGRISH farmer is appealing to the community to stop mass balloon releases which are putting his lambs and calves in danger.

Peter Lambert says his animals are attracted to balloons which fall in his fields. He told The Herald that he has had to save many of them from choking to death after the balloons get lodged in their throat.

He said: "I do not want to be a killjoy and I don't mind if a child lets one balloon go from its hand, but it is the vast numbers of them littering the countryside from these releases.

"The lambs and calves see something colourful and go to play with it. The rubber gets stuck in their throats and they start choking. Thankfully we have been able to save most of them."

He added: "The problem is getting worse and worse. We expected this during millennium year because everyone was releasing balloons but the problem has continued. I picked up about 10 earlier this week.

"One of them was from McDonald's and said anyone who finds this gets a free meal. I feel this is simply littering the countryside.

"I have spoken to schools and people who organise fetes and they agree with me. But a balloon release seems to be part of many celebrations and events now. There are even shops especially for this."

Mr Lambert says the area in which he lives is a prime spot for balloons to drop.

He said: "The balloons are filled with helium and go straight up but come straight back down again. It is worse for us in the Meon Valley because it is a natural place for them to drop.

"There are no thermals around here. I would say about 90 per cent of them end up falling in this area."

The threat of balloons dropping in the countryside is considered a serious problem by a number of groups, including the RSPCA.

The organisation even helped to compile a report on the issue with the Marine Conservation Society, the Tidy Britain Group and the National Farmers Union.

It states: "Thousands of balloons released into the sky can make an impressive sight. But what goes up must come down. The impact of balloons on animals and the environment can be grave, even fatal."

The report points out that releases often take place at charitable events and calls for a "voluntary ban" on them and suggests organisations should celebrate events in more environmentally friendly and animal-friendly ways.

It continues: "Given the harm balloons cause wildlife and domestic animals, and the aesthetic damage to the environment, the Marine Conservation Society, the RSPCA, the NFU and the Tidy Britain Group believe there should be no balloon releases in the UK.

"It is also questionable whether balloon releases are legal. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, it is an offence to drop or otherwise deposit litter in a public place.

"It would be unfortunate if celebration of and support for one good cause were to be responsible for the blight of another."