THE Government must act to stop Burnley being surrounded by wind farms, the town's MP Peter Pike has warned a Minister.

He said he supported renewable energy sources such as wind farms but added that the single such development on the moors above Burnley was enough.

Mr Pike spoke out during a half-day special debate on wind farms.

His comments came whilst Labour colleague - Vera Baird, Member of Parliament for Redcar - was commending the Labour Government's commitment to renewable energy and rubbishing Opposition claims that the Government are planning to rely solely on onshore wind power.

Ms Baird pointed out that the Labour Government were committed to spending £117m on offshore wind power.

Mr Pike welcomed the value of wind farms but said that the most important thing should be that they are sited as appropriately as possible - adding that if Burnley were to be surrounded by wind farms the impact on the environment would be disastrous.

He told Ms Baird: "You are making a valuable point. Wherever the wind farms are, is not the most important thing that they are sited as appropriately as possible? My constituency is in the hilly country near the Pennines. We have one wind farm, but if Burnley were to be surrounded by wind farms, the impact on the environment would be disastrous. Afterwards the Burnley MP added: "I do prefer offshore wind farms where appropriate, but wherever they are sited the proper and sensitive siting of them is crucial.

"I believe that it is right to invest in renewable energy sources and welcome the Government's commitment to this but none of us want to see wind farms on all the hills around Burnley, or at the end of Blackpool pier! We are showing more ambition than most developed countries."