ENVIRONMENTAL protesters have spoken out against plans to extract half a million tonnes of coal from a former colliery.

ATH Regeneration Limited hopes to take coal from a spoil heap at the former Langton Colliery, near Pinxton, and process it at a site in the village.

But Notts Against New Coal has appealed to Derbyshire County Council and Nottinghamshire County Council to reject the planning applications.

If councillors give the scheme the go-ahead, coal would be transported to a site off Beaufit Lane, in Pinxton, for processing.

A spokesman for the environmental group, which is against the use of the fossil fuel because it releases carbon dioxide when burned, said: "Pinxton residents will be subjected to 25 round trips a day – that's 50 lorries thundering through narrow residential streets five days a week.

"We believe coal should remain in the ground and call upon both county councils to promote clean, sustainable, green energy solutions rather than allowing this application to go ahead.

"Coal is a dirty and polluting fuel from the moment it's dug up from the ground to the moment it's burned."