VENUES could be banned from letting off Chinese lanterns in parts of south Oxfordshire.

The decision to try to put a stop to the paper lanterns over safety fears was made by councillors on the Vale of White Horse District Council.

Councillors agreed to add a condition to the authority’s licensing policy banning the use of the lanterns, which can be added when premise owners or event organises apply for a new licence or renew their existing one.

Councillor Robert Sharp said he had proposed the idea after £6m of damage was caused to a factory near Birmingham earlier this year by a Chinese lantern. He said: “The amount of problems they can cause is just enormous.” The decision will go to the council’s cabinet for ratification.

The council is separately considering banning the use of Chinese lanterns from council-owned land.

Meanwhile, casino operators will continue to be banned outright from opening a business in the Vale of White Horse.

Officers had recommended ending the district council’s no casino policy but councillors disagreed.

The council’s licensing acts committee instead renewed the current policy for another three years. It will now go to full council for ratification.

Officers had hoped to bring the council’s licensing policy into line with South Oxfordshire District Council’s, which it shares services with.

The only significant difference between the two councils’ policies is the Vale has a ‘no casino’ clause and South does not, licensing team leader Robert Draper said.

He said: “The initial guidance given to officers was not that South adopt one but that Vale may wish to remove the no casino policy.”