Owen Paterson urged not to back gas drilling in Shropshire

In an open letter to the North Shropshire MP, John Harrison has raised concerns about a proposal to drill a temporary coal-bed methane exploration borehole on land north west of The Brooklands, Dudleston, near Ellesmere.

Mr Harrison has also warned that it could lead to a community bus service which he co-ordinates being scrapped.

Mr Paterson has previously indicated his support for gas drilling in the county. He believes it will boost the economy and said there are "rigorous" regulations for this type of activity.

But Mr Harrison, who lives in Whixall, near Wem, and helps run the North Salop (NS) Wheelers, said he is thinking of moving house because he fears the effects of gas drilling will have serious impacts on his health.

Mr Harrison, 67, said other members of the North Salop (NS) Wheelers have indicated they would not be prepared to continue the bus service without him at the helm.

The letter says: "Mr Paterson, you seem to place a great store in the experiences in America, yet you do not seem to have spoken to many Americans in my socio-economic group or that of the people whom we serve without bus services.

"I don't suppose for one instant you have spoken to those, for instance, who can ignite the methane permeating the atmosphere from the tap water or those who have been made ill from the proximity of the drilling/extraction sites."

It adds: "However, not withstanding all that it is very important to understand this is not America; it is Shropshire and it is from the geologists who understand the geology of the county which forms your constituency to whom you should be paying attention.

"It has recently been shown that deposits in Sussex are meagre and hardly worth the effort."

Mr Harrison goes on to say he hopes "good sense will prevail over an aspiration for some sort of mythical cheap energy".

The scheme has angered campaigners who say exploratory drilling for coal-bed methane gas could open the door for controversial "fracking", or hydraulic fracturing, for shale gas in future years.

But the firm behind the plans, Dart Energy, denies it has any plans at the moment to explore for shale gas in the county – even though north Shropshire sits on both coal and shale – saying it is currently interested in coal-bed methane only.

But Shropshire Council leader Keith Barrow told a packed meeting in St Martins last month that he thinks plans to drill for methane gas in Shropshire should be refused.