Campaigners protest at Lancashire fracking site

A group of campaigners protested at a controversial Lancashire fracking site - the operator of which has just announced a huge natural gas find.

The small group is concerned about the impact that exploitation of the gas reserves could have on air and soil quality in the region.

Cuadrilla, the firm behind the fracking operation, announced at the Imperial Hotel in Blackpool that it had uncovered 200 trillion cubic feet of gas - which it claimed could support thousands of jobs in the UK.

The protest group believes that the find could draw investment away from the sustainable energy sector - which is intent on meeting the UK's energy demands while maintaining soil and air quality.

Phil Thornhill, from Campaign Against Climate Change, who protested outside the meeting, said: "Those jobs could and should be in green energy. We need a revolution in the economy to really deal with climate change effectively."

Similar concerns have been raised at a fracking site in the north-west of Ireland operated by Australian firm Tamboran.

Posted by Claire Manning