FRACKING protestors sent a message to shoppers in Hereford on Saturday, despite no immediate plans to start drilling in the county.

Greenpeace and Green Party members joined others outside Barclays Bank in Broad Street to protest about its involvement in fracking.

The bank owns fracking company Third Energy, which plans to drill 19 wells across the district of Ryedale, North Yorkshire.

Fracking is a technique for extracting shale gas from deposits in rocks up to 20,000 feet underground using drilling and explosive blasting.

The Wye Valley and Forest of Dean were part of the 159 Petroleum Exploration and Development Licences awarded for fracking across England.

MP for North Herefordshire, Bill Wiggin, and Mr Norman voted in favour of fracking.

The area in south Herefordshire has been licensed for gas exploration and development in the form of Coal Bed Methane.

But before a licensee can start operations it must apply for planning and other permissions, which has not yet happened in the area.

Rob Hattersley, who helped organise the event, said that the level of interest was very high in Hereford.

"The great majority we spoke to agreed that fracking was dangerous and they were against it, especially if it did come to Herefordshire,” said Mr Hattersley.