CAMPAIGNERS fighting gas storage proposals in Wyre fear more than 11,000 complaints about the proposal could end up being disregarded.

The scheme by American firm, Canatxx, is due to go before a public inquiry next October, but the company has now submitted a new planning application to Lancashire County Council.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the Thornton Action Group on Tuesday, Ian Mulroy, chairman of the Protect Wyre Group, warned campaigners may have to start gathering objections all over again.

"We may have to go through the entire process again because of the second application submitted by Canatxx," said Mr Mulroy: "They appear to be playing a game.

"The deadline for objections to the new application is January 14. We will be meeting this month to plan our strategy. We would like 25,000 letters this time to make a statement to the government."

But a Canatxx spokesman said: "The first application is the subject of an appeal to the Secretary of State and is in the queue for a public inquiry. While we are in the queue we have submitted a second planning application, with further information, which gives the county council another opportunity to undertake its statutory duties."

New information includes archaeological, ecological and traffic details, some of which had been requested by the county council.

A public inquiry on the original application is expected to start on October 11 next year and is likely to take around 10 weeks.

Canatxx wants to store two million tons of natural gas in caverns under the Wyre and originally applied for planning permission last year.

A Lancashire County Council spokesman confirmed that if a new application is made, new representations would have to be made and previous comments would not be taken into account.