Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli is to be burned at the stake!

A bonfire society unveiled its annual celebrity guy today as Balotelli.

The 30ft effigy is the second footballer to be chosen by Edenbridge Bonfire Society in as many years, after Wayne Rooney was burned at the stake at last year's event.

Jon Mitchell, a committee member of the Kent-based society, said it had been difficult to come up with someone foolish enough to take the honour of being the guy this year.

He said: "We were getting a bit worried because nobody had done anything silly enough to be our guy.

"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.

"He's now capitalising on his little disaster as he's joined the campaign for firework safety so we fully support him on that."