Campaigners protest at Fife mine site

UK Coal plans to mine 720,000 tonnes of coal from the site

At least 20 environmental campaigners are staging a protest at a site which has planning permission for an open cast coal mine in Fife.

The group is against plans for tree cutting to make way for the mine at the Blair House site outside Oakley.

The activists are understood to be from the same group which held up work for seven months at the Mainshill open cast site in South Lanarkshire last year.

Mining firm UK Coal said there were measures in place to protect wildlife.

Planning permission

A UK Coal spokesman said: "They are not making any damage or nuisance, they are just making their feelings known.

"They are not delaying any activity on the site.

"There are also measures in place to address concerns of people opposed to the scheme, the wildlife will be protected, for example there are certain times of the year while birds are nesting when we wouldn't cut hedges and trees.

"There is a condition on every major species in the area that we have agreed to adhere, which is covered in the planning permission."

He added that the company planned to mine 720,000 tonnes of coal from the site over a two year and nine month period.

The firm plans to start moving earth from the site at the beginning of the summer, with coal mining to start in early autumn.

Ch Supt Brian Plastow, of Fife Constabulary, said: "This appears to be a peaceful protest and there has been no impact on the local roads or public.

"We will continue to liaise with the protesters and monitor their actions."