Imagine on your wedding day that you allowed your guests to lift off lanterns only to find out later that someone's farmhouse and crops were destroyed due to your negligence. Or worse yet, someone was in that farmhouse and couldn't get out in time.
This article comes to you from Burton Mail
by RICHARD CASTLE
A FARMER has slammed revelers whose 'UFOs' nearly burned his entire winter's feed and put him out of business.
There have been a host of reports of bright lights in the sky above Burton and South Derbyshire in recent months.
News - Joshua and Dan Hollis with the 'UFOs' at Gate Farm Stables, Hanbury Road, Anslow.
FARMER OUTRAGED BY LANTERNS - CAN YOU BLAME HIM?
Click on picture
James Hollis saw them above Gate Farm Stables, in Hanbury Road, Anslow, on New Year's Day. But, as they fell to the ground, he realized they were Chinese lanterns with flares inside - one of which fell just a foot from his 15-tonne winter hay supply.
The 50-year-old said his business would have gone up in smoke had the burning lantern caught his bales.
He said: "It had just turned dark on New Year's Day when my lads and I saw a red light overhead and thought it was a plane taking off. But then we saw another, and another, and another, and it became clear they weren't planes at all. We went to take the cows in and, suddenly, an object floated down with a light flickering inside. It was about 4ft in diameter with a candle inside, kind of like one of those Chinese lanterns. I understand people have a sense of humor and it was New Year's Day, but they should just think on a bit before acting. My winter feed could have gone up in flames. That would have put me out of business and, in this day and age, you don't get a second chance."
Mr Hollis, who lives with sons Daniel, 9, and Joshua, 10, said the lanterns also upset his cows as he goes on to state, "The lights were up at about 1,500ft and coming from the Hilton area and, I have to admit, they look great when they're flying. But it doesn't make it okay - one of the lanterns landed on a cow's head, sending it into a frenzy. All the cows were very unsettled by the whole incident and all were desperate to get inside. We've already had bluetongue this year, the last thing we need is burning objects falling from the sky on our farm. Also, planes are always flying over our area from East Midlands Airport and the lanterns could pose a danger to them."
So let me reiterate. Imagine on your wedding day that you allowed your guests to lift off lanterns only to find out later that someone's farmhouse and crops were destroyed due to your negligence. Or worse yet, someone was in that farmhouse and couldn't get out in time.
For ALL daily and current UFO news click here
****
******
****
****
***................See each month at a glance on one page
...November...October ...September...August...July...June
