ECO-FRIENDLY parents have forced a Radcliffe school to change their plans for a mass balloon launch event.

Gorsefield Primary School, in Robertson Street, had planned to release hundreds of balloons at a celebration to mark the school’s new academy status this afternoon.

But after parents complained about the harm that balloons, even those that are biodegradable, can cause to the environment, the school reversed its plans and will now release the balloons indoors.

Karen Bramwell, the school’s executive principal, said: “We decided that it just wasn’t worth the risk, even though the balloons we bought claimed to be environmentally friendly.

“We’ve come to a really good compromise solution so that we can still run the event, still support the local business who we have bought the balloons from, and not harm the environment.

“We are all about community here and being environmentally friendly is an important part of that.”

Parents contacted the school to complain after a letter announcing the event was sent out on Monday.

According to guidance issued by the RSPCA, which is arguing for a ban on outdoor balloon releases, deflated balloons or balloon fragments can easily be ingested by animals, causing them to die. It is claimed balloons marked as biodegradable can take a number of weeks to degrade and still pose a serious risk to animals, .

One parent, who asked not to be named, said: “I’m very happy with the response from the school once we raised the issue with them.

“It was disappointing that the negative impact on the environment was not considered when the decision was first taken, but they’ve turned it into a positive situation.

“The environment is a huge issue in Radcliffe and there are a lot of problems locally, but thankfully the school has taken our advice and is preventing further harm being done here.

“This event is to celebrate the school becoming an academy and this is a good sign that things are going to be more environmentally friendly from now on.”