Fracking would be more dangerous in east Kent, says Rosemary Rechter, of environmental group Deal With It.

A Welsh company has been given permission to sink a test borehole on farmland north of Woodnesborough.

It was granted a licence in 2011 but there has been no activity since the approval by Kent County Council.

Mrs Rechter, founder and co-ordinator of Deal With It, said: “I’m sure something will go ahead in Sandwich but geologically it shouldn’t be allowed to happen in Kent. Its more dangerous than in Sussex because we have extremely thin layers of rock beneath the earth so its more likely for toxic water to escape and poison our supplies.

“Fracking is a short-term fix that will cause an awful lot of misery for an awful lot of people and I think its very wrong.

“The pollution to water supplies could be huge and the money should be spent on developing renewable energy solutions instead.”

Mrs Rechter claims that a reduction in the cost of utility bills is unlikely as companies can sell shale gas for a larger profit on the international market.

She added: “It’s all about raising awareness because people hear about cheap gas and more jobs and think its a great idea and they don’t realise how damaging it is to the environment.

“You only have to look at what happened in America and Australia, problems with health, water pollution, livestock and crops.”

The Deal With It group supporting East Kent Against Fracking visited the Balcombe Camp, West Sussex, where work to explore for shale gas has seen many protests and also many in support of fracking.