NATIONAL GRID has warned it will be forced to take out a court injunction if two North Yorkshire farming brothers continue to refuse to allow them on to their land to build a pylon.

National Grid staff backed down yesterday in the face of a sit-down protest by John and Richard Gill who do not want them to put up a planned pylon in their field and another within 100 metres of their home.

Guy Bradbury, of National Grid, left the field at Station Farm, Alne, near Easingwold, flanked by police officers after the brothers refused to co-operate with his desire to survey the land.

A spokesman for National Grid said the team had decided to leave after marker pegs were removed by the protesters.

He said: "We very much regret incidents of this type, and, wherever possible, we try to negotiate access to farmers' land amicably with the landowner. That is successful in the majority of cases.

"When the peg was removed, we concluded that we could not carry on with the work because we were being obstructed, and decided to withdraw.

"We will contact the landowner and attempt to reopen negotiations. If we are successful, we will continue with the survey.

"If not, we will have to look at the legal position, and, in the very last instance, we would look at applying for a court injunction. But we would much prefer to reach an amicable agreement with the landowner."

John Gill said he and his brother would fight National Grid all the way. "We won't back down over this. They are desperate to get on to our land and we won't let them on.

"We haven't even thought about what we will do if they get a court injunction out on us, but for now we won't let them near our fields.

"They have given us no reassurances about our health fears. These power lines and pylons are far too near our home.

"And we believe they could affect the computerised equipment we use to milk our cows."

The pair are active supporters of REVOLT which has been campaigning for more than a decade against the controversial 50-mile power line through the Vale of York.

The first of the pylons was built at Tholthorpe, near Easingwold, in late December. When complete the line will carry about 400,000 volts of electricity from Teesside to Shipton-by-Beningbrough, near York.

Updated: 11:42 Thursday, February 14, 2002