Huge attendance at fracking protest in York

Early estimates suggested more than a thousand people joined the march on Saturday, with some suggestions the number could have been as high as three thousand.

The protesters gathered in the Eye of York before marching through the city to York Minster, where speeches and songs were shared among the crowd.

Green Councillor Andy D'Agorne said: "After the Government's eleventh hour rethink on Hinkley Point, we want to see a similar rethink about fracking.

"It's only by making this sort of protest we will get that. I think there's everything to play for, and it won't happen without wider outspoken opposition."

Caroline Hind, who lives in Fulford, said she was concerned about the future of the county for her children, and hoped protests could help make a difference.

She said: "It seems insane to me to start disturbing the earth under our feet and it's irreversible once we've done it, we can't undo it.

"What does it do to the earth's crust once you start blasting underground? What are the knock-on effects for the different parts of the earth?"

Ian Conlan, from Frack Free Ryedale, said people had travelled from across the country to take part in the march, as fracking was not an issue which only affected Yorkshire.

Mr Conlan said: "We've come together today with Frack Free York to raise the profile of the anti-fracking movement and to show it's just normal people normal residents of Yorkshire who are really cross and angry about the decision to approve fracking at Kirby Misperton and the campaign goes on.

"Large parts of Yorkshire have been licensed for fracking now, and many people do not realise that they now live in a fracking licensed area and they could be in for fracking applications near their back yard. We don't want this in anybody's back yard."