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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Bid to end open cast mine protest | Bid to end open cast mine protest |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Objectors against an open cast mine development in South Lanarkshire say moves have begun to remove protesters. | Objectors against an open cast mine development in South Lanarkshire say moves have begun to remove protesters. |
| Up to 30 campaigners have dug themselves in at the Mainshill Wood Scottish Coal site in Douglas. | Up to 30 campaigners have dug themselves in at the Mainshill Wood Scottish Coal site in Douglas. |
| Scottish Coal has been given permission to mine about 1.7 million tonnes of coal from the site. | Scottish Coal has been given permission to mine about 1.7 million tonnes of coal from the site. |
| A spokesman for Strathclyde Police said officers were dealing with the situation. An eviction notice was granted earlier this month. | A spokesman for Strathclyde Police said officers were dealing with the situation. An eviction notice was granted earlier this month. |
| Tree-felling | |
| Officers arrived on Wednesday morning and have been removing the barricades the protesters set up. | Officers arrived on Wednesday morning and have been removing the barricades the protesters set up. |
| One of the protesters, who identified himself as Ross, said police and drilling contractors had "forced their way on to the site and removed our barricades". | |
| He said: "When we occupied this place there was illegal work happening. There was tree-felling and drilling to work out the extent of coal reserves on the site and that was something we wanted to stop because it contravenes the planning permissions. | |
| "So they have been removing all that machinery from the site this morning." | |
| Ross said there were still many protesters on the site. | |
| He said the campaign had put a lot of pressure on the landowner Lord Home and Scottish Coal. | |
| "We are hoping Scottish Coal will wake up and see what level of community opposition there is to this project and how many people don't want a mine on their doorstep," he added. | |
| Scottish Coal declined to comment. |