THE anti-fracking campaign group, the Preston New Road Action Group, will start their latest legal challenge over fracking in Lancashire to the Court of Appeal tomorrow.

The case in London will take two days along with a separate law suit from campaigner Gayzer Frackman (who changed his name by deed poll).

In 2015, Lancashire County Council refused planning permission for drilling firm Cuadrilla to start exploratory hydraulic fracturing at Preston New Road near Blackpool but the government overturned the decision.

A judicial review at Manchester Court of Appeal ealrier this year backed the decision.

A spokesman for the action group said:“We trust that the decision to allow fracking at Preston New Road will be found unsound, and Lancashire County Council’s original decision will be reinstated.”

There are fears fracking could be extended along the M65 corridor in East Lancashire from the north of Blackburn through to Burnley, Nelson and Colne and down the Rossendale Valley which has been identified as sitting on reserves of shale gas.”

Earlier this summer, a spokesperson for the firm, which has started drilling work,said: “Cuadrilla will actively defend the appeals alongside the government and remains confident that the planning consent will not be overturned.”

The Preston New Road Action Group spokesman said: “Even before any fracking has commenced, the local community has been subjected to disruption.

“People matter, communities matter. As has been demonstrated loudly and clearly over the last three years upwards, there is no social licence to frack at Preston New Road.”