Anti-mining posters removed

Banners and posters protesting against UK Coal's plans for opencast mining near the Ercall have been taken down by Telford & Wrekin Council overnight - the day after it declared war on fly-posters, threatening fines of up to £2,500.

The Friends of the Ercall was set up a few months ago to campaign against the plans. They say they are unaware of who put the posters up.

Watch our Wrekin mining row video here

Posters and banners reading 'If not for yourself oppose the opencast mining plans for the health of your children', and 'Opencast mining should carry a Government health warning. Say No', appeared in potentially affected areas a few weeks ago.

On Monday, the Star carried a story about Telford & Wrekin Council saying putting up posters without council permission was illegal and any people or organisations found to be fly-posting could face fines of up to £2,500 in magistrates courts.

Spokesman for the Friends, Pat Johnson, said the posters and banners which were placed in New Works, Huntington, Lawley, Dawley Road, and banners on the Dawley Road by the golf course, were removed on Tuesday. He said he did not know who had put them up.

Mr Johnson said: "I got a call this morning to say they had all gone. I believed it had been done by the people who put them up.

"Before the posters went up, we had 150 signatures opposing the plans, and after the figure rose to 1,400, so they have done a good job.

"But it's very convenient that the council is saying posters are illegal after we asked at a recent protest meeting for the dates on public consultation notices to be amended.

"The signs put up by the council still say the consultation period ends on January 29, whereas in fact it is still on-going."

Councillor Steve Bentley, lead member for the environment, said: "I can confirm it was our highways department which removed those specific posters."

A council spokesman confirmed the consultation period was still open ended and the public had a few months to make their feelings known.