RELEASING a bunch of balloons into the sky is no different to dropping fag butts in The Kingsway, a Swansea West man has said.

Robin Bonham has had a pop at the organisers of a balloon release during a health awareness day at the LC.

And he said he was not the only person to object.

Ospreys and Wales stars Alun Wyn Jones and Duncan Jones were among those present at last Thursday's World Kidney Day event, which saw health board staff offer free advice, blood pressure and urine checks.

As it turned out, several of the balloons — said by organisers to be biodegradable — flew into a nearby tree when released. Others drifted out to Swansea Bay in the northerly wind.

Mr Bonham, of West Cross Lane, West Cross, said: "If you threw cigarette butts all the way down The Kingsway, you would be fined. There really isn't a difference. It is littering. Who is going to clear this litter up?

"I am not against any kidney charity. I want to make that clear. Obviously, people want publicity for World Kidney Day, but I don't think this is the right way to go about it."

The Mumbles rugby club youth chairman has joined in local beach litter picks with the Marine Conservation Society, and said plastic and rubber were a menace to wildlife.

"There are certain turtles that come to Carmarthen Bay and Cardigan Bay — they think a balloon is a jellyfish and eat it, and the balloon gets stuck in their stomach," he said.

Mr Bonham said he'd been shocked to learn about the huge piles of plastic debris accumulating in the oceans. One such pile in the Pacific, estimated at 100million tonnes, has been growing for around 60 years.

Sue Kinsey, of the Marine Conservation Society, said it had contacted the organisers before last Thursday's event in Swansea. Plastic, she said, could cause "tremendous havoc" for marine life.

"We don't want to spoil anyone's fun — but what goes up does come down," she said. "We did ask them to have a rethink. You can do other things, like balloon popping, or even 'virtual' balloon races."

A spokesman for Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board said: "We used a small number of biodegradable balloons as part of our efforts to raise awareness of kidney disease. We apologise if this has upset anyone and will certainly take their comments on board for future events."

richard.youle@swwmedia.co.uk