A 30ft effigy of Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli will be burned by the Edenbridge Bonfire Society this weekend.

The group select a celebrity each year that has made a number of headlines to act as the guy on their bonfire.

Their decision has come in the wake of fire crews being called to Balotelli's house after he had set off fireworks in his bathroom last month.

"We were getting a bit worried because nobody had done anything silly enough to be our guy," said committee member Jon Mitchell.

"We'd been watching politicians and celebrities but no-one had really done anything really stupid.

"We chose Balotelli because he made a bit of a fool of himself a few weeks ago by setting his house alight with fireworks."

The Italian has become the second footballer is as many years to be chosen by the Kent-based group, with Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney their subject in 2010.