Campaigners have taken their battle to protect the planet one step further in Waltham Forest by declaring Walthamstow Village a ‘frack free’ area.

This weekend Greenpeace Waltham Forest unofficially banned the process of digging deep in the earth for gas in parts of E17.

The group hung signs around the border of the village with the support of business owners and residents.

Greenpeace recently began a campaign asking all parliamentary candidates to sign a pledge against fracking.

Greenpeace Waltham Forest activist James Cracknell said: “To make our point we have declared Walthamstow Village a frack free zone. 

“The good people of the Village welcomed our intervention on Saturday because fracking is dangerous and fossil fuels should be left in the ground.

“The government has drawn up oil and gas drilling zones covering 70 per cent of England's land, linked to 5-year onshore licences to explore, drill & frack.

“Civil servants are deciding now who wins those rights. Walthamstow, like most of London, comes under one of these zones.”

 

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

Signs erected around Walthamstow Village declaring the area a 'frack free' zone 

 

Greenpeace activists admit it is “unlikely” that Walthamstow will ever experience any fracking but added it always “remains possible” unless there is an outright ban.

The frack free promise has been signed by Green candidates for Walthamstow and Leyton and Wanstead, Mike Gold and Ashley Gunstock.

Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy abstained from a vote on fracking in January.