Poundland has withdrawn its range of Chinese lanterns after a huge fire was started by a similar sky lantern, although not one sold by the company.

The fire, which was attended by over 200 firefighters in Smethwick in the West Midlands on Sunday, has been followed by calls for the lanterns to be banned.  

Vij Randeniya, chief fire officer for the West Midlands, said Poundland's decision would make "a direct contribution to public safety" and called on other retailers to "follow suit as soon as possible".

He added: "We asked for a sensible conversation about sky lanterns with sensible people, and we are really pleased that Poundland have stepped up to the plate.”