North Shropshire campaigners call on Owen Paterson to meet them

Known only as "Yellowbelly" the 40-year-old is one of those who has spent the past nine months living at "Castle Dudleston" – a camp built out of wooden pallets and plastic sheeting in the corner of a field north of Ellesmere.

Despite sitting out in sub-zero temperatures and storm-force winds and admitting to health problems through the winter, he says he will remain on site until the threat to the land has passed.

Dart Energy wants planning permission to test drill for coal bed methane gas on land at Dudleston.

The planning application was submitted to Shropshire Council in the summer of last year but as yet no decision has been made.

Mr Paterson, who is fighting to retain his seat as North Shropshire MP in the coming election, made his views on alternative energy clear in a hustings in Market Drayton.

He said: "We do have a fantastic, God given chance in shale. Shale has reduced the American emissions of C02 and I strongly recommend that that is one of the options we look at."

But Yellowbelly said: "This is not God sent, it has not been given to us to make our lives better. Extracting unconventional gas will only make our lives worse.

"Our geology in Britain will not sustain this industry.

"I would be happy to meet with Mr Paterson either here at Castle Dudleston or an alternative venue.

"We are calling for a five-year moratorium on unconventional energy, so that the dangers can be more fully understood."

He added: "We understand that from a test drill site at Barton Moss, there is already evidence of toxicity in the water. Water is a precious resource and once it is contaminated that is it.

"Shropshire and areas such as Hereford and Malvern have wonderful fresh spring water. We want to protect that and protect this beautiful countryside not just for us but for our children and our children's children."

From a motley collection of tents hastily erected by environmental protectors in July, Camp Dudleston is now an impressive wooden fortification lived in by a handful of people during the week, their numbers swelled at weekends.

"Most people have responsibilities, be that family or work, so we appreciate that they can't be here all the time," Yellowbelly said.

"But we have great support from so many sections of the community, from all walks of life."

Now that the winter appears over, the "protectors" are looking forward to better weather.

They are currently building a home-designed, solar-powered shower using a water tank and plastic bottles and starting to plant out herbs and vegetables to keep them going through the summer.

And they are urging everyone to think of ways that they could help the environment.

"We are not saying that everyone should live in a pallet castle, or use a solar shower but everyone could so something to save energy.

"It seems that everyone these days has a mobile phone, a tablet and a computer, all on charge using energy for example."

Both he and another protector, Cookie, are passionate about Britain cutting its electricity use by switching from 240 volts to 110 volts.

"They have 110 volts in Europe and on many industrial parks in this country," Cookie said. "The only problem there would be for domestic users would be in using kettles."

The protectors say that unconventional energy has not been taken up in the election.

"We want an independent body to work with the future government but not be accountable to the government in looking at energy.

"We are perfectly placed here in the UK, we are an island surrounded by water, we have sun and we have wind.

"We believe that hydro energy coupled with off-shore wind energy and solar power should provide us with our energy.

"And one simple idea – put solar panels on the turbines so that when the wind drops and the sun is shining, they can still produce energy."