THE government’s plan to establish its shale gas industry through fracking is taking longer than expected, a new report has said.

The National Audit Office (NAO) report comes amid ongoing public concern over the effects of fracking on the environment and public health.

Fracking is the process of extracting gas and oil from shale rock wells by using highly pressurised water, sand and chemicals.

In 2016 the Cabinet Office said it expected that up to 20 wells would have been fracked by mid-2020, but only three have been fracked to date.

Site operators have said the system to protect against the risk of earthquakes is stricter than that used internationally and claim that this has hindered their ability to develop the industry, the report said.

The NAO also found that operations have proved costly for local authorities and police forces, which manage anti-fracking protests, traffic disruption and general public safety at the sites.

The report estimated that at least £32.7 million had been spent by public bodies since 2011, including North Yorkshire Police, although the full costs are not known.

Third Energy was planning to carry out fracking at its site in at Kirby Misperton in 2017 but, following large protests and calls for a financial resilience review by the Government, eventually withdrew the bulk of its fracking equipment.

Since then the site has lain effectively dormant, though the planning consent to frack is valid until 2026.

Last month an indefinite moratorium on fracking in Ryedale was supported by district councillors.

Ryedale resident Steve Mason, from Frack Free United, said: “What we have here is a truly independent verification of the facts and questions posed by the anti-fracking campaign.

“This report has exposed the fragilities of the Government’s policy on fracking, leaving so many unanswered questions.

“The Government has no idea how much gas they can extract, what the economic benefits are and they do not have the technologies available to limit emissions if we frack.

“It is highly likely that taxpayers will have to pay for the clean-up costs. Anyone reading this report must surely be thinking: ‘What on earth is going on? How can the government support this industry that is fast becoming more fantasy than facts?’ We advocate an urgent ban on this dirty fossil fuel industry.”

A Third Energy spokesman said: “The National Audit Office report is balanced and does reflect Third Energy’s experience in North Yorkshire.

“At present the unconventional work stream is paused and will resume when the current issues around the regulation of induced seismicity and the planning system have been resolved.”