THE controversial sky lanterns are facing being banned in the area after calls from the public, including one Castle woman who had a close call on New Year’s Eve.


Christine Gaar, 59, who runs a small pet sitting business, was at home looking after customer’s dogs on New Year’s Eve when most other people in Northwich were welcoming 2016 with friends and family.


Shortly after midnight, Christine noticed a sky lantern had landed on her conservatory roof and had set fire to it, burning a small hole in the roof.


Christine Gaar, 59, said: “It got to just after midnight and all the fireworks were going off and when I went into the conservatory, there was a sky lantern that had landed on the roof and had set fire to it.


“Luckily, I think I must have seen it just after it had landed because, even though it has burned a small hole in the roof, it could have been so much worse if I’d not noticed it.


“I used to think they were great, actually, but you don’t think that they can land on people’s property and do real damage, so people need to know.


“If I hadn’t been here and the dogs were in on their own - well it doesn’t bear thinking about.”


West Cheshire’s neighbouring borough council, Cheshire East, banned the lanterns from being used on its land last year, and Christine called for the same to be done by Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWaC).


Members of the council’s Policy and Performance Panel discussed the issue on Thursday, January 7, at an environment and community meeting, and decided to ask cabinet to ban the use of the lanterns in the borough.


A spokesman for CWaC said: “What they decided was to ask cabinet to put forward a ban on sky lanterns on council land and a voluntary agreement to be undertaken for major stake holders that they will not be used on their land either.”