Opencast mine campaigners giving a French lesson

A PROTEST group campaigning against a planned opencast mine development is 'going global' with a French language television network featuring its campaign.

A camera crew from TV5 Monde will visit the Minorca site, off Gallows Lane, Measham, tomorrow, where UK Coal is applying to extract 1.25 million tonnes of coal and 250,000 tonnes of fireclay.

The crew will meet members of the Minorca Opencast Protest Group (MOPG) to film part of a series highlighting climate change issues in the run up to the UN Convention on Climate Change, which begins in Copenhagen next week.

The segments will be screened on the network, which is a partnership of broadcasters in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada and which broadcasts to French speakers around the world, including in the UK on Sky TV.

The Minorca site will also be visited by riders taking part in Wheels To The Wave, a cycle ride from Manchester to London, organised by the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition.

Meanwhile, MOPG's outgoing chairman, Steve Leary, who has been replaced by group member Bob Walsh, has ended his tenure by outlining the group's successes during the past year at its annual meeting, held at St Laurence's Church Hall in the village. He said: "It was a mood of self-congratulation as we have achieved most of our initial targets.

"We are very pleased with the response of public bodies to this application and we have submitted our main objection document. Now, we are waiting for UK Coal to respond to the objections."

The UK Coal application, which has been formally opposed by North West Leicestershire District Council and Measham Parish Council, is due to be considered by Leicestershire County Council in the New Year.