ANTI-fracking campaigners descended on Nelson Town Hall to voice their opposition to the controversial practice.

Protestors set up a stall to collect signatures on a petition and hand out leaflets ahead of a scrutiny management team meeting on Tuesday, where they spoke out against fracking.

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Councillors received a presentation from the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive, although no decision was made about the future of fracking in Pendle.

They had met to study the potential for fracking in the area, and heard about the risks involved, as well as processes put in place to manage the risks, including the handing out of permits, enforcement of certain safety conditions, and inspections.

Protestors had expected representatives from fracking company Cuadrilla to attend, while a council agenda said somebody from the Department for Energy and Climate Change would also give a presentation, although nobody did.

Wes Hall, who also runs the Help The Homeless East Lancashire group, organised the protest and said: “People are not aware of the of the dangers of fracking and I’m here to create some awareness.

“Pendle Council is proposing to research fracking when the county council has not made a decision as to whether fracking should go ahead.

“I’m passionate about protecting this area.”

Lancashire’s environment manager Steve Molyneux, from the Environment Agency (EA), was forced to concede there are risks associated with fracking after being asked for a “yes or no answer” by Mr Hall during the meeting.

Mr Molyneux said: “If there was no risk, there would be no regulation. If you set up an argument for a number of things to happen or go wrong, then that outcome could happen, yes.”

Cllr Ken Hartley, who chaired the meeting, halted proceedings and said: “Some of the questions I have heard, and I include Wes’ last question, are unfair.

“Every time you step off the pavement you run the risk of being run over. Any individual process that takes place in this country is subject to risk and I challenge anybody to think of one that isn’t.”

Fracking means recovering gas and oil from shale rock by drilling deep into the earth, using a high pressure mixture of water, sand and chemicals.

Opponents say the practice can lead to earth tremors and the chemicals used could cause cancer, if they contaminate groundwater around the site.