CAMPAIGNERS against new pylons going up across the Vale of York claim the existing line is still only being used at 20 per cent of capacity.

They say they will press the Secretary of State to use powers to review and even remove the power lines after next March.

The campaign group Revolt has issued a public statement outlining its position as it continues to oppose the 50 miles of giant pylons being erected from Teesside to Shipton-by-Beningbrough.

It said the pylons were going ahead despite "ten years of inquiries, blunder and misinformation" and an acceptance at public inquiries that they were not strictly necessary.

"Market distortion enables National Grid to profit from promoting more power stations in the far north to serve the south, " said a spokesman. "The unnecessary new Picton-Shipton line will promote the waste of energy worth £500 million per year.

"Decisions were taken against the will of the people. Inquiries were misled over financial and technical details. The democratic process has not been seen to be fair or just."

Revolt said the Secretary of State was empowered, by a formal condition to planning consent, granted in 1998, to review the consent and order the removal of any of the lines after next March. It would press when that time came for those powers to be used.

"The more the (Picton-Shipton) line is shown to be unnecessary, and the more people object to it, the better the case for its removal."

A spokesman for National Grid said power lines needed to be able to cope with whatever demands were placed on them. Surplus capacity was always necessary on power lines in case other lines were undergoing maintenance or failed.

He did not accept that £500 million worth of energy was wasted every year.

Updated: 11:49 Tuesday, July 16, 2002