Campaigners protesting against the mining of 900,000 tonnes of coal at a Shropshire beauty spot have started building a second camp to block diggers and workers coming in.

Protesters at the Huntington Lane site already have a camp on the north side of the site, which was one year old on Wednesday. Work is taking place on the south side but protesters have a new aim.

They believe mining company UK Coal needs an access road through the north side to dispose of its rubbish.

In their bid to fight the company, the protesters have said a second camp is now being built on the north side in an attempt to block trucks and diggers from further work.

A campaigner, who did not want to be named, said the second camp was being built in response to the company chopping down trees at the site.

He added there was also the possibility of more protesters turning up in the county. “There is lots of activity here at the site and we’ve put out a national call for people,” he said.

“Some new guys have arrived over the last 36 hours from the south and one has come down from the north.

“There is a new camp being established on the north site, with four new treehouses.

“It’s 12 months now exactly since the occupation started and what UK Coal has got to understand is that it’s going to get a lot bigger.

“The opposition they are going to get is just going to grow.”

UK Coal spokesman Chris Crouch said the protestors were not slowing any of the company’s work at the controversial site.

Mr Crouch said: “We can’t dissuade anybody from protesting and everybody is free to carry out such protests.

“They aren’t interfering with ongoing mining activities but we do urge them to reconsider and allow us to carry out our work to the full.

“After occupying parts of the site for a year it is possibly the right time for them to move on and that desire that the protestors should leave is also the desire of the community liaison committee, the go-between to link ourselves and the council.”

Mr Crouch said the protesters should take note of public opinion, but that they were creating no problems for the mining firm.

He added: “We could most probably extract half the amount of coal on site without moving them as the site’s split into segments.

“We can continue our main operations before we need to look at that particular area.”

By Jason Lavan