Shropshire protesters stage rally over gas drilling plan
Protesters took to the streets in their campaign against gas drilling proposals for Shropshire.
Scores of protecters marched behind a mock drilling rig as part of a full day of activities organised by Frack-Free North Shropshire in Oswestry.
The parade came after a series of public meetings in recent weeks heard claims a drilling scheme for coal bed methane could lead to the industrialisation of parts of Shropshire and eventually bring fracking to the county.
The coal bed methane plans have been put forward by Dart Energy which aims to stage exploratory drilling in the county.
Campaigners fear the drilling plans for Dudleston near Ellesmere could lead to controversial fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, for shale gas in future years - a claim the company has denied.
Duncan Kerr, from Frack-Free North Shropshire, said he had been suprised but delighted by the turn out for the parade thorough the down centre on Saturday.
"People of all ages from children to pensioners joined in, showing how worried the community is."
"This is a beautiful county and we want to keep it that way."
The event ended with a free music benefit event at Oswestry's Hermon Chapel.
Among those at Saturday's event was one of the members of the camps that had been set up at previous drilling sites.
Known only as 'Yellowbelly' from Ludlow the protestor said that he was against all unconventional drilling whether fracking or for coal bed methane.
"I have a daughter and I am doing this for her and her generation," he said.
The group plans another meeting in the Miners Institute in St Martins on June 23.
