ANTI-FRACKING groups have staged a protest in York against the controversial drilling technique.

Around 30 demonstrators from six North Yorkshire groups gathered outside Barclays Bank in Parliament Street, York, to demand the banking giant shuts down a company planning to drill for shale gas in Ryedale.

Barclays has a majority stake in Third Energy, the company which wishes to carry out fracking - the process of blasting chemicals and water deep underground to release gas - in Kirby Misperton.

However, groups including Frack Free York and members of the city's Friends of the Earth spent time outside the bank calling for them to stop Third Energy from fracking.

John Cossham, from York Friends of the Earth, said: "We had an amazing response.

"A lot of people are up in arms about the idea of an unconventional gas extraction in Kirby Misperton and we were targeting Barclays because they own Third Energy.

"We want Barclays to stop them fracking and get rid of the company or close it down.

"The public reaction to this is split. There are still people that think fracking is a great idea and some of those people made their views known to us.

"However, the majority of the public are with us and they don't want this dirty energy and think it is not a risk worth taking.

"They think fracking has a serious risk potential and to pollute our water and damage climate change."

Josie Downs, from Malton, added: "We are calling on Barclays to stop Third Energy from fracking in Ryedale, and to divest from damaging fossil fuel industries around the world. Fracking is not wanted in North Yorkshire and threatens our tourism and agriculture, as well as leading to the industrialisation of our countryside.

A spokesman for Barclays said: "Barclays Natural Resources Investments (BNRI) has a majority stake in Third Energy: a British business with a history of investment and good corporate citizenship in North Yorkshire. Third Energy has been drilling, developing and producing gas in the region for over 20 years, with an excellent environmental and safety record.

"We are conscious of the concerns of local communities and other groups over potential environmental and community impacts, which we take seriously and will continue to monitor."