A Shropshire parish council has set up an online petition on a Government web- site urging Communities Secretary John Denham to reject plans for a giant opencast coal mine in Telford.

Little Wenlock Parish Council’s plea, on the Number 10 petitions website, claims the plan by UK Coal would wreck lives, scar the landscape for generations and harm wildlife.

UK Coal wants to extract 900,000 tonnes of coal and 250,000 tonnes of fireclay from Hungtington Lane, between New Works and Little Wenlock.

The company claims a mine would help meet demands by the Government for home-produced coal, create 92 jobs and provide fuel for Ironbridge Power Station.

The proposal has, however, sparked fierce opposition and it prompted a six-week public inquiry in Telford, which ended this month.

The inspector will now make a recommendation on whether the plan should or should not be approved but the ultimate decision lies in the hands of the Government.

Little Wenlock Parish Council’s online petition “implores” Mr Denham to throw out the plan, claiming “it would deter tourists from visiting the area and be seriously detrimental to future investment in Telford”, and “it would destroy the image of Telford as a modern, clean town surrounded by green countryside”.

To see the petition, visit http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/UKCoal-Telford/