HUNDREDS of people joined an anti-fracking march and rally in Malton on Saturday.

Ryedale protestors were joined by supporters from across the country and about 500 people marched from Norton skatepark through Malton to Castle Gardens for a rally, bringing the town centres to a standstill.

Sarah Houlston and her, husband Stephen, who farm at Great Barugh, brought their children Eleanor, nine, and William, eight, to the protest. She said: “We are very concerned on a number of levels. Our family is the fifth generation to farm in this area, but if fracking goes ahead we have no idea if our children will get the chance to carry that on.”

Lisa Holden, from Duggleby, who originally lived five miles from a proposed fracking site near Blackpool, said: “I am here to raise awareness. Local people need to be able to make an informed choice.”

Niki Brown, 75, from Malton, said she was concerned about the destruction of wildlife and the effect on the area’s tourism industry. She said: “I hope to be around for a good few years yet and don’t want to see fracking here.”

Cate Stanley travelled from Lancashire to join the protest. She said: “People are becoming more aware of fracking dangers and the effects.”

Gazette & Herald:

Some of the protestors during Saturday’s march and rally

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is the process of drilling into the earth before water, chemicals and sand are injected under high pressure into rock, releasing the shale gas trapped inside.

Speakers at the rally included Chris Redston, of Frack Free Ryedale, General Election candidates Philip Tate, Di Keal, Chris Newsam and Alan Avery, along with Dr Tim Thornton and Lindsay Burr, who are standing in the district elections, and Simon Bowens, from Friends of the Earth.

Sue Gough and Joanne Bartlett, who both live near Kirby Misperton where gas company Third Energy intends to submit an application to carry out a test frack at its existing well site, joined the protest. Joanne said: “One well is just the tip of the iceberg. By the time my year-old daughter is 50 there could be thousands – is that the disturbing legacy I want to leave for my child?”

Sue said: “Together we can defeat fracking in Ryedale, the UK and the rest of the world, which would be fantastic. It will be detrimental to health, environment and the rural economy.”

Rally organiser Jo White said: “We were overwhelmed by the number of people who made the effort to attend. At least 95 per cent were local. Fracking is becoming the biggest election issue in our area and the fact that this was the biggest protest of its kind seen in Ryedale underlines the concern people have.”

Mr Redston said: “The huge turnout of local residents showed that more and more people in Ryedale are extremely worried about the threat of fracking.”

• Frack Free Ryedale is hosting a film night at Great Habton Village Hall, today (Wednesday) at 7.30pm, followed by a question and answer session. Entry is free.