Shoreham residents protest against fracking

Residents in Shoreham met outside Barclays bank for an anti-fracking protest

Six campaigners grouped outside of Barclays to raise awareness of the high street bank’s supposed links to a major fracking firm and to highlight licenses granted for exploratory drilling in Sussex.

Posters and leaflets given out by the group claimed Barclays is the majority owner of fracking firm Third Energy, which has recently been granted permission to frack in Ryedale, North Yorkshire despite strong opposition from residents.

Campaigner Barbara O’Kelly, 73, of Fairfield Close, Shoreham, said the protest – which was part of a countrywide anti-fracking campaign run by the Friends of the Earth network – had gone better than expected, adding: “A lot of people were interested and stopped and chatted.”

She said it was important to support people campaigning against fracking near their homes in other parts of the country, adding: “Drilling elsewhere in England could further open the door to drilling locally.”

A spokesperson for Barclays said: “Through Global Natural Resources Investments, Barclays has a majority stake in Third Energy: a British business with a history of investment and good corporate citizenship in North Yorkshire.

“Third Energy has been drilling, developing and producing gas in the region for over 20 years, with an excellent environmental and safety record.

“We are conscious of the concerns of local communities and other groups over potential environmental and community impacts, which we take seriously and will continue to monitor.

“We have worked closely with Third Energy to ensure their plans are compatible with our values.”

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